Note on the Edition and Translation: Manuscripts and Methodology

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Note on the Edition and Translation: Manuscripts and Methodology

äºNahj al-BalÄghah: The Wisdom and Eloquence of Ê¿AlÄ«

Editor / Translator:

Tahera Qutbuddin

Tahera Qutbuddin
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DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004682603_003

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Dar Hadith al Hassania

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The manuscripts and methodology used to prepare the present volume are described in the following pages. My hope is to have produced a highly accurate critical edition and translation of Nahj al-BalÄghah, based on the earliest and most important extant manuscripts, and on a carefully constructed stemma.

1 Manuscripts

As can be expected for a text of such fame, several hundred manuscripts are extant in collections in the Middle East and worldwide,¹ some dating from the 5th/11th century just decades after Raá¸Ä« finished his compilation in 400/1010. To prepare my edition, I have consulted fourteen of the earliest manuscripts, dating from the 5th/11th through the 7th/13th centuries,² some examined for the first time in modern scholarship. These manuscripts are valuable not only because of their early provenance, but also because of their eminent genealogies: eight are copied or corrected by renowned scholars, and three even trace their lineage to Raá¸Ä«âs own autograph manuscript.

1.1 Summary List of Manuscripts

The following is a summary list of the manuscriptsâfive primary and nine secondaryâconsulted for the present edition:

Table 1

Primary manuscripts

Sigla		Date	Library	Location	Catalog number	Special Merit
M	â®Ùâ¬â	469/1077	MarÊ¿ashÄ«	Qum, Iran	3827	Checked against manuscript read out to Raá¸Ä«
Sh	â®Ø´â¬â	5th/11th c.	ShahrastÄnÄ«	Baghdad, Iraq	â	Perhaps earliest manuscript, 406/1015 or 1016
N	â®Ùâ¬â	494/1101	Naá¹£Ä«rÄ«	Tehran, Iran	â	Early manuscript
H	â®Ú¾â¬â	553/1158	Rampur Raza	Rampur, India	1190	Copied from Faá¸lallÄh al-RÄwandÄ«âs 511/1158 MS, which was checked against Raá¸Ä«âs autograph copy
Y	â®Ùâ¬â	608/1212	Tehran University	Tehran, Iran	1782	Copied from YaÊ¿qÅ«bÄ«âs 474/1081 MS, which was checked against Raá¸Ä«âs autograph copy

Table 2

Secondary manuscripts

Sigla		Date	Library	Location	Catalog number
L	â®Ùâ¬â	510/1116	Mumtaz ul Ulama	Lucknow, India	â
Z	â®Ø²â¬â	538/1144	Maulana Azad, AMU	Aligarh, India	485
D	â®Ø¯â¬â	544/1149	Imam Reza	Mashhad, Iran	13847
Q	â®Ùâ¬â	565/1170	Iraqi National Museum	Baghdad, Iraq	356
S	â®Ø³â¬â	567/1171	Sulaymaniye	Istanbul, Turkey	REISULKUTTABÂ 942
Ch	â®Úâ¬â	588/1192	Chester Beatty	Dublin, Ireland	5451
A	â®Ø¢â¬â	598/1202	Sulaymaniye	Istanbul, Turkey	AYASOFYAÂ 4344
T	â®Øªâ¬â	615/1218	Topkapi Palace	Istanbul, Turkey	Aá¸¥mad IIIÂ 2556
K	â®Ùâ¬â	684/1285	Sulaymaniye	Istanbul, Turkey	REISULKUTTABÂ 943

1.2 The Manuscriptsâ Contents

The manuscript evidence shows that Raá¸Ä«âs original Nahj al-BalÄghah consists of three main sections of Ê¿AlÄ«âs words: 232 orations, 78 letters, and 429 sayings, including 9 sayings in a subsection on rare words; some texts are followed by Raá¸Ä«âs brief commentary. The anthology is bookended by Raá¸Ä«âs introduction and brief conclusion.

Two ancillary aspects of the manuscriptsâ contents are as follows:

Sequence of Orations: A set of eight orationsâÂ§â¯1.183â190âare arranged in two different sequences:

Sequence 1 is the one followed in the present edition. It is found in primary manuscripts M and Sh, and secondary manuscripts Z, S, Ch, A, T, and K.

Sequence 2 is as follows: Oration Â§â¯1.182 is followed by Â§â¯1.191â232. Orations Â§â¯1.183â190 come after Â§â¯1.232, the final oration in Sequence 1; Â§â¯190 (QÄá¹£iÊ¿ah) is the final oration in Sequence 2. Sequence 2 is found in primary manuscripts N, Y, and H, and secondary manuscripts L, D, and Q.

Addenda: A number of manuscripts contain the following post-Raá¸Ä« addenda (details are noted in the individual manuscript descriptions that follow this section):

Additional texts: Several manuscripts contain extra texts attributed to Ê¿AlÄ«âsix orations (Â§â¯1.233â238), one letter (Â§â¯2.79), and seventeen sayings (Â§â¯3.430â446)âthat are inserted at the end of each of the three sections. The insertions are early, perhaps from Raá¸Ä«âs lifetime and perhaps with his approval, but they were not part of his original compilation.³ Other than K and Ch, all manuscripts signal the inserted sayings as additions (ziyÄdah), and earlier scholarship has noted their insertion. Y, H, and L also signal the added orations, and H and L the added letterâin modern scholarship, the present edition is the first to identify their insertion.

Supplements: Some manuscripts contain up to four supplements inserted right after Raá¸Ä«âs conclusion (and others contain further ad hoc supplements):

Three sets of verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah by: (1) AbÅ« YÅ«suf YaÊ¿qÅ«b ibn Aá¸¥mad al-NaysÄbÅ«rÄ« (d.Â 474/1081, who also penned an important lost manuscript of Nahj al-BalÄghah consulted by some of our manuscripts); (2) his son AbÅ« Bakr al-á¸¤asan ibn YaÊ¿qÅ«b (d.Â 517/1123); and (3) the grammarian Ê¿AlÄ« ibn Aá¸¥mad al-FanjkurdÄ« (d.Â 513/1119).
Inscriptions of Ê¿AlÄ«âs signet-rings (nuqÅ«sh khawÄtimihi).

Marginalia: All manuscripts contain a larger or smaller number of study notices, marginalia, and stamps of ownership.

I have transcribed the additional texts in the edition and translation notes, but not the supplements or marginalia.

1.3 Primary Manuscripts

For the present edition, I have relied primarily on five precious manuscripts, all probably originating in Iraq and Iran. The first threeâM, Sh, and Nâare each claimed by specialists, as detailed below, to be the oldest known manuscript of the work. They were transcribed in the 5th/11th century by scholars either contemporaneous to the compiler, Raá¸Ä« (d.Â 406/1015), or a generation or two after him; Sh may even be from as early as 406/1015 or 1016. M is especially valuable because it is said to have been checked against a manuscript corrected by Raá¸Ä«, but the other two manuscripts also go back to Raá¸Ä«âs original: of the others making up the five primary manuscript sources, H was transcribed from the early 6th/12th manuscript of the scholar Faá¸lallÄh al-RÄwandÄ«, and Y from the manuscript of the aforementioned 5th/11th-century scholar-poet YaÊ¿qÅ«b al-NaysÄbÅ«rÄ«, both parent manuscripts said to have been copied from Raá¸Ä«âs manuscript. In terms of preservation, manuscript Y is complete, while M, Sh, N, and H are nearly complete, missing only the first few folios and a few inner ones.

The following are details of my primary manuscripts, in approximate chronological order:

[â®Ùâ¬â] or [M]: MarÊ¿ashÄ« Manuscript: Iranian manuscript dated 469/1077,⁴ located in the library of Ayatollah al-MarÊ¿ashÄ«, Qum, catalog no.Â 3827, in two parts,⁵ published in a single-volume facsimile edition titled Nahj al-balÄghah: Muá¹£awwarah min nuskhah makhá¹Å«á¹ah nÄdirah min al-qarn al-khÄmis, edited by Maá¸¥mÅ«d al-MarÊ¿ashÄ« (Qum: Maktabat Ayatollah al-NajafÄ« al-MarÊ¿ashÄ«, 1406/1986); the full manuscript is available online.⁶ MÄ«rzÄ Ê¿AbdallÄh AfandÄ«, an 11th/17th-century historian who once owned the manuscript, writes that it was âchecked against a manuscript read out [in a study session] to the compiler, Raá¸Ä«.â⁷ The eminent Nahj al-BalÄghah scholar Ê¿Abd al-Ê¿AzÄ«z á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä« calls it âone of the oldest and most valuable manuscriptsâ of Nahj al-BalÄghah, âperhaps even the most valuable of them all.â⁸

The copyist is the well-known scholar AbÅ« Ê¿AbdallÄh al-á¸¤asan ibn al-á¸¤usayn al-MuÊ¾addib al-QummÄ« (d. early 6th/12th c.). Place is not mentioned.
The manuscript is almost complete in 171 folios, numbered in the facsimile edition in 335 pages.⁹ The opening folios (Raá¸Ä«âs introduction, orations Â§â¯1.1â18), and folioÂ 24^r (orations Â§â¯1.55â59) are missing, and the facsimile edition inserts folios from later manuscripts to complete the textâin the present edition, I do not consult the inserted folios. The Sayings section is also missing a substantial portion (Â§â¯3.132â355, Â§â¯3.429). A few sayings are in a different sequence than in some other manuscripts.
The manuscript is written in clear Naskh script, though cramped in some places and difficult to read, fully dotted and vocalized. Numerous study notices, corrections, variant readings, and lexical explanations are provided in different hands in the margins.
The added orations are transcribed without signaling the insertion. The added letter is transcribed by a later hand in the margin without flagging the insertion. The added sayings are not included.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
Blessings for the Prophet Muá¸¥ammad are invoked throughout with the formula, âGodâs blessings and peace on him and his descendantsâ (á¹£alla llÄhu Ê¿alayhi wa-Älihi). Blessings for Ê¿AlÄ« are invoked with the formula âpeace on himâ (Ê¿alayhi al-salÄm).
Raá¸Ä«âs explanatory remarks are not prefaced by the copyistâs added phrase found in several other manuscripts, viz., âThe Sayyid [al-Raá¸Ä«] said.â

[â®Ø´â¬â] or [Sh]: ShahrastÄnÄ« Manuscript: Early 5th/11th-century manuscript, possibly dated 406/1015 or 1016,¹⁰ located in the private library of Ayatollah HibatallÄh al-ShahrastÄnÄ« in al-KÄáºimiyyah, Baghdad, Iraq;¹¹ beautiful facsimile printing by Alulbayt Foundation (London: MuÊ¾assasat Äl al-Bayt li-Iá¸¥yÄÊ¾ al-TurÄth, 2013). Majallat al-Murshid al-BaghdÄdiyyah (vol.Â 2, no.Â 2, 1927, p.Â 75) deems it the oldest known manuscript; and a notation on the final folio states that the esteemed Iraqi scholar Hibat al-DÄ«n al-á¸¤usaynÄ« al-ShahrastÄnÄ« (d.Â 1967) has certified it as the oldest extant manuscript.

Place is not mentioned, and the copyistâs name is unreadable.
The manuscript is almost complete in 175 folios. The first three folios of Raá¸Ä«âs introduction are missing,¹² and there is some water damage throughout, especially on the last folios. The manuscript is written in clear Naskh script with Kufic undertones, the latter also suggesting early provenance. It is fully dotted and vocalized, with headings in red. The same red is used for some corrections in the margins and the text. Other corrections, variant readings, and lexical explanations are provided in several different hands, in black, in the margins.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
The original manuscript contains the fuller blessings formula throughout for the Prophet Muá¸¥ammad as âGodâs blessings on him and his descendantsâ (á¹£allÄ llÄhu Ê¿alayhi wa-Älihi). The phrase âand his descendantsâ (wa-Älihi), has been brushed out in most (though not all) places and overwritten with âand grant him peaceâ (wa-sallam), possibly signaling a âcorrectionâ by an overzealous Sunni reader. Blessings for Ê¿AlÄ« are invoked with the formula âpeace on himâ (Ê¿alayhi al-salÄm).
The added orations are transcribed in the margin in a different hand. The added letter is transcribed in the original without flagging. The added sayings are transcribed in the original and flagged in red with the line, âExtra texts added from a manuscript written in the lifetime of the compilerâ (ziyÄdah min nuskhah kutibat fÄ« Ê¿ahd al-muá¹£annif).
The final folios transcribe YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs and á¸¤asanâs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah, which would appear to be a later addition.
Raá¸Ä«âs explanatory remarks are prefaced with the line, âThe Sayyid [al-Raá¸Ä«] said.â

[â®Ùâ¬â] or [N]: Naá¹£Ä«rÄ« Manuscript: Manuscript dated 494/1101, located in the library of Muá¹£á¹afÄ á¹¢adr al-AfÄá¸il DÄnish Naá¹£Ä«rÄ« al-AmÄ«nÄ« al-ShÄ«rÄzÄ«, Tehran;¹³ facsimile printing by Madrasat Chihil SutÅ«n in the Grand Mosque of Tehran, titled Nahjul Balagha of Hazrat Ali, edited by á¸¤asan SaÊ¿Ä«d (Tehran: Maá¹baÊ¿at Gulshan, 1981; Library of Congress MLCMNÂ 2001/01154). The copyist had likely consulted YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs manuscript.¹⁴

The copyist is Faá¸lallÄh ibn á¹¬Ähir ibn al-Muá¹ahhar al-á¸¤usaynÄ«. The date is transcribed as 494/1101.¹⁵ Place is not mentioned.
The manuscript is almost complete in 162 folios, numbered in the facsimile edition in 324 pages, with the first 15 or so folios missing: the manuscript begins at Â§â¯1.32.¹⁶ The manuscript is written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted and vocalized. Numerous corrections, variant readings, and lexical explanations are provided in different hands in the margins. The orthography is archaicâe.g., â®Ø¹Ø«ÙÙâ¬â with no alif after mÄ«m.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 2.
Blessings for the Prophet Muá¸¥ammad are invoked with the formula, âGodâs blessings and peace on himâ (á¹£allÄ llÄhu Ê¿alayhi wa-sallam), consistently leaving off the phrase âand his descendantsâ (wa-Älihi), probably signaling Sunni affiliationânotably, a few pious epithets present in most other manuscripts are also omitted, such as âthe queen of all womenâ (sayyidat al-nisÄÊ¾) for the Prophetâs daughter and Ê¿AlÄ«âs wife, FÄá¹imah (Â§â¯1.200). Blessings for Ê¿AlÄ« are invoked with the formula âpeace on himâ (Ê¿alayhi al-salÄm).
The added orations are not included. The added letter is transcribed without flagging it as an insertion. The added sayings are transcribed and titled in red with the line, âExtra texts added from an excellent Iraqi manuscriptâ (ziyÄdah kutibat min nuskhah sariyyah Ê¿IrÄqiyyah).
The final folios transcribe YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs, á¸¤asanâs, and FanjkurdÄ«âs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah, probably a later addition.
Raá¸Ä«âs explanatory remarks are prefaced with the line, âThe Sayyid [al-Raá¸Ä«] said.â

[â®Ú¾â¬â] or [H]: Rampur Raza Manuscript. Manuscript dated 553/1158, located in the Rampur Raza Library in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India, catalog no.Â 1190,¹⁷ in two parts.¹⁸ A beautiful single-volume facsimile edition has been published under the auspices of the Government of Indiaâs Ministry of Culture, with an introduction in English, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, and Hindi by the Libraryâs director, S.M.Â Azizuddin Husain (Rampur: Rampur Raza Library Publication Series, 1433/2012). A microfilm is owned by the Central Library of Tehran University, catalog no.Â 5046. The manuscript is copied from an earlier manuscript dated 511/1117, transcribed by the eminent scholar Faá¸lallÄh al-KÄshÄnÄ« al-RÄwandÄ« (d.Â 571/1175, author of a lost commentary on Nahj al-BalÄghah), which was copied directly from Raá¸Ä«âs own manuscript. Presumably copying from RÄwandÄ«âs manuscript, moreover, the copyist of our manuscript transcribes in a colophon on the saying at Â§â¯3.354 (fol.Â 164^r) Raá¸Ä«âs contextualizing comments, prefaced with the words, â[Perused] in Raá¸Ä«âs copy (fÄ« nuskhat al-Raá¸Ä«).â

The copyist is Ê¿Abd al-JabbÄr ibn al-á¸¤usayn bin AbÄ« al-QÄsim al-FarÄhÄnÄ«. He transcribed the manuscript in JawsaqÄn near RÄwand, in Isfahan.
The manuscript is almost complete in 169 folios: The first folio of Raá¸Ä«âs introduction is missing, as are a couple of folios from the first part of volume two, from the beginning of oration Â§â¯1.191 to just before the beginning of oration Â§â¯1.192. There is water damage on the lower end of the first few folios.
The manuscript is written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted, and vocalized, and has some corrections and annotations in the margins.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 2.
The added orations, letter, and sayings are transcribed,¹⁹ and all three sets are flagged by a line that states, âAdditional texts added from a manuscript written in the lifetime of the compiler.â
YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs and his sonâs verses are not present in the facsimile edition, though they may be present in the original manuscript.
Blessings for the Prophet Muá¸¥ammad are invoked throughout with the formula, âGodâs blessings on him and his descendantsâ (á¹£allÄ llÄhu Ê¿alayhi wa-Älihi). Blessings for Ê¿AlÄ« are invoked with the formula âpeace on himâ (Ê¿alayhi l-salÄm).
Raá¸Ä«âs explanatory remarks are prefaced with the line, âThe Sayyid [al-Raá¸Ä«] said.â

[â®Ùâ¬â] or [Y]: âYaÊ¿qÅ«bÄ«â Tehran University Manuscript. Manuscript dated 608/1212, located in the Central Library (al-Maktabah al-Markaziyyah) of Tehran University, catalog no.Â 1782.²⁰ A facsimile copy is preserved in the library of the á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä« Foundation (BunyÄd-i Muá¸¥aqqiq á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«) in Qum, catalog no.Â M/214. The manuscript was copied from YaÊ¿qÅ«b al-NaysÄbÅ«rÄ«âs (d.Â 474/1081) manuscript,²¹ which was copied from or checked against Raá¸Ä«âs original manuscript.²²

The copyist is Ê¿AlÄ« ibn á¹¬Ähir ibn AbÄ« SaÊ¿d. Place is not noted, but since the manuscript derives from YaÊ¿qÅ«b al-NaysÄbÅ«rÄ«âs manuscript, it too could be from Nishapur.
The manuscript is complete in 193 folios, also numbered as 386 pages.²³ It is written in a rough but clear hand and is fully dotted and vocalized. The orthography is archaic. It contains numerous variants and lengthy annotations in the margins that appear to be in the original copyistâs hand.
In the Sayings section, the introductory phrase in most manuscripts preceding each textâviz., âÊ¿AlÄ«, peace be on him, saidâ (wa-qÄla Ê¿alayhi l-salÄm)âis mostly, though not always, absent.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 2.
The added letter is transcribed without flagging it as an insertion, but the added orations and sayings, which are also transcribed, are flagged by a line that states, âAdditional texts added from a manuscript written in the lifetime of the compiler.â²⁴ As for the added sayings, the copyist states (p.Â 384) that he copied them from YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs manuscript.
Though copied from YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs manuscript, the manuscript does not appear to contain YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs or his sonâs versesâperhaps the folios that contained them are lost.
Blessings for the Prophet Muá¸¥ammad are invoked throughout with the formula, âGodâs blessings on him and his descendantsâ (á¹£allÄ llÄhu Ê¿alayhi wa-Älihi), and sometimes, âPeace upon himâ (Ê¿alayhi l-salÄm). Blessings for Ê¿AlÄ« are invoked with the formula âpeace on himâ (Ê¿alayhi al-salÄm). The pious epithet for FÄá¹imah, dropped from Â§â¯1.200 of manuscript N, is also dropped from Y.
Raá¸Ä«âs explanatory remarks are prefaced with the line, âThe Sayyid [al-Raá¸Ä«] said.â

1.4 Secondary Manuscripts

I have consulted nine further manuscripts from the 6th/12th and 7th/13th centuries in order to transcribe the initial few folios that are missing from all but Y of the primary manuscripts, and for a further check of substantive variants throughout. These manuscripts also have important scholarly pedigrees. Among them, K was copied from the manuscript of the famous premodern editor of texts Ê¿AlÄ« ibn Muá¸¥ammad ibn al-SakÅ«n (or: SukÅ«n, d. ca.Â 600/1204).²⁵

The following are details of my secondary manuscripts in chronological order:

[â®Ùâ¬â] or [L]: Mumtaz ul Ulama Lucknow Manuscript. Manuscript dated 510/1116, located in the Mumtaz ul Ulama Library in Lucknow, India.²⁶ A facsimile copy is located in the library of the Theology Faculty (DÄneshkadeh-yi IlahiyyÄt), Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, catalog no.Â 77.

Copyist and place are not noted. The date is written in a different hand on the margin of the final folio.
The manuscript is almost complete in 158 unpaginated folios; the last lines of letter Â§â¯2.11 to the middle of Â§â¯2.31.11 appear to be missing, while parts of the first folios, and most of the final eight folios, have water damage. It is written in mostly clear Naskh script, fully dotted and partially vocalized, with some annotations and corrections in the margins. The first line of Raá¸Ä«âs brief conclusion is transcribed as it appears in the other manuscripts, but the next two lines, which are blurred, appear to contain a different prayer formula.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 2.
The added orations, letter, and sayings are transcribed, and all three sets are flagged by a line that states, âAdditional texts added from a manuscript written in the lifetime of the compiler.â
Seven lines of verse by an unnamed poet in praise of Ê¿AlÄ«âs words, in the same hand, are appended after Raá¸Ä«âs conclusion.

[â®Ø²â¬â] or [Z]: Maulana Azad Aligarh Manuscript. Manuscript dated 538/1144, located in Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India, catalog no.Â 485,²⁷ in two parts.²⁸ A beautiful facsimile edition has been published by Maulana Azad Library, Aligarh, and the Cultural Center of the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi, 2011. A microfilm is owned by Imam Reza Library in Mashhad.

The copyist is Ê¿AlÄ« ibn AbÄ« al-QÄsim ibn Ê¿AlÄ« al-á¸¤Äjj. Place is not noted.
The manuscript is complete in 173 folios. It is written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted and vocalized, with some corrections and annotations in the margins.
A colophon on the final folio notes that the manuscript was checked against the copy of a scholar named Afá¸al al-DÄ«n á¸¤asan ibn FÄdÄr al-QummÄ«. Several ownership marks are found at the beginning and end of each of the two parts.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
The added orations, letter, and sayings are included but not flagged as insertions.

[â®Ø¯â¬â] or [D]: Imam Reza Mashhad Manuscript. Iranian manuscript dated 544/1149, located in the Imam Reza Library in Mashhad, catalog no.Â 13847, from the Waqf endowment of the library of FÄá¸il KhÄn al-KhurÄsÄnÄ« al-TÅ«nÄ« (d.Â 1060/1650).²⁹ A facsimile copy is preserved in the library of the á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä« Foundation in Qum, catalog no.Â M/203, and a microfilm in the Central Library of Tehran University, catalog no.Â 2134.

The copyist is Muá¸¥ammad ibn Muá¸¥ammad ibn Aá¸¥mad al-NaqÄ«b, who finished writing the manuscript in Sabzevar (previously known as Bayhaq, in NE Iran, near Mashhad).
The manuscript is almost complete in 183 folios, numbered in a later hand in 366 pages, with the first folio of Raá¸Ä«âs introduction missing. A couple of folios from within the first oration (Â§â¯1.1.2â1.1.7) and sayings Â§â¯3.195â332 are also missing.³⁰
The manuscript is written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted, and mostly vocalized, and it has some corrections and annotations in the margins.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 2.
The added orations are not included. The added letter is transcribed without flagging it as an insertion. The added sayings are transcribed and titled in red, âAdditional texts added from a manuscript written in the lifetime of the compiler.â
The final folios transcribe YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs and á¸¤asanâs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah.

[â®Ùâ¬â] or [Q]: Iraqi National Museum Manuscript. Manuscript dated 565/1170, located in the Library of the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad, catalog no.Â 356.³¹

The copyist is Muá¸¥ammad ibn SaÊ¿Ä«d ibn al-á¸¤usayn al-Ê¿ÄmirÄ«. Place is not noted.
The manuscript is complete in 243 folios,³² written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted and vocalized, with one- or two-word lexical and grammatical annotations in somewhat blurred red, in the margins or between the lines.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 2.
The added orations are not included. The added letter is transcribed without flagging. The added sayings are transcribed and titled in red, âAdditional texts added from a manuscript written in the lifetime of the compiler.â
The final folios transcribe FanjkurdÄ«âs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah.

[â®Ø³â¬â] or [S]: Sulaymaniye RaÊ¾Ä«s al-KuttÄb Manuscript 1. Manuscript dated 567/1171, located in the Sulaymaniye Library in Istanbul, catalog no. REISULKUTTABÂ 942.³³ The manuscript was part of the collection of RaÊ¾Ä«s al-kuttÄb Aá¸¥mad ibn Muá¹£á¹afÄ ibn KhalÄ«l (á¹¬ÄshkubrÄ«zÄdah, d.Â 968/1561) whose ownership mark is on the cover folio, along with his name in his own hand.

The copyist is Ê¿AlÄ« ibn Muá¸¥ammad ibn AbÄ« SaÊ¿Ä«d ibn Maná¹£Å«r. Place is not noted.
The manuscript is complete in 172 folios, written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted and partially vocalized, with some annotations and corrections in the margins.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
The first three of the six added orations are transcribed, and the first fifteen of the seventeen added sayings, without noting for either set that they are insertions. The added letter is also transcribed without flagging.

[â®Úâ¬â] or [Ch]: Chester Beatty Manuscript. Manuscript dated 588/1192, located in the Chester Beatty library in Dublin, catalog no.Â 5451.³⁴

The copyist is Aá¸¥mad ibn al-MuÊ¾ayyad ibn Ê¿Abd al-JalÄ«l ibn Muá¸¥ammad. The place is not noted. An ownership notice on the cover folio with the name SadÄ«d al-DÄ«n YÅ«suf ibn Muá¹ahhar á¸¤illÄ« [= al-Ê¿AllÄmah al-á¸¤illÄ« (d.Â 726/1325)] is written in Persian, with the mark of a library whose name is blotted out, also in Persian.
The manuscript is complete in 169 folios. It is written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted and vocalized, and has numerous marginal variants and annotations.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
The added orations are transcribed, as are the first fifteen of the seventeen added sayings, without noting for either set that they are additions. The added letter is also transcribed without flagging.

[â®Ø¢â¬â] or [A]: Aya Sofya Manuscript. Manuscript dated 598/1202, located in the Sulaymaniye Library in Istanbul, catalog no. AYASOFYAÂ 4344.³⁵

The copyist is Muá¸¥ammad ibn Aá¸¥mad ibn Ê¿Abd al-Raá¸¥Ä«m al-FÄmÄ« al-HarawÄ«. Place is not noted.
The manuscript is complete in 187 folios, written in clear Naskh script, fully dotted and vocalized, with headings of new orations, etc., in red. It contains numerous marginal variants and explications in the same red.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
The six added orations are not included.³⁶ The added letter is transcribed without flagging. The added sayings are transcribed and titled in red, âExtra texts added from a manuscript written in the lifetime of the compiler.â
Raá¸Ä«âs conclusion is followed by: the text of Ê¿AlÄ«âs seal rings; a further added oration (the alif-less oration titled BadÄ«hah or The Spontaneous), reported by Muá¸¥ammad ibn al-SÄÊ¾ib al-KalbÄ« from AbÅ« á¹¢Äliá¸¥ (fols.Â 183^vâ185^v); and YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs, á¸¤asanâs, and FanjkurdÄ«âs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah.

[â®Øªâ¬â] or [T]: Topkapi Manuscript. Manuscript dated 615/1218, located in the Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul, catalog no. Aá¸¥mad IIIÂ 2556.³⁷

The copyist is Ê¿Abd al-GhafÅ«r ibn Ê¿Abd al-GhaffÄr ibn Aá¸¥mad ibn Marzawayh al-KÄtib. Place is not noted.
The manuscript is complete in 357 folios, with no lacunae, but the copyist has left out Raá¸Ä«âs final texts in each section: the manuscript ends at oration Â§â¯1.224 (missing eight texts, Â§â¯1.225â232), at letter Â§â¯2.72 (missing five texts, Â§â¯2.73â78), and at saying Â§â¯3.407 (missing twenty-one texts, Â§â¯3.408â429). The added orations, letter, and sayings are also not included.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
The manuscript appears to be either a special display copy or one used sparingly by Ottoman royalty: It is written in clear, handsome Naskh script, fully dotted and vocalized. Chapter headings are decorated with extensive gold illumination. Phrases introducing individual pieces are centered and sized larger. Only two variants, written in the margin in a different hand, are noted in the entire manuscript.

[â®Ùâ¬â] or [K]: Sulaymaniye RaÊ¾Ä«s al-KuttÄb Manuscript 2. Manuscript dated 684/1285, located in the Sulaymaniye Library in Istanbul, catalog no. REISULKUTTABÂ 943.³⁸ The manuscript is copied from the manuscript of the aforementioned scholar Ibn al-SakÅ«n (d. ca.Â 600/1204). Like S, this manuscript was also part of the collection of RaÊ¾Ä«s al-kuttÄb á¹¬ÄshkubrÄ«zÄdah (d.Â 968/1561).

Place is not noted, and a gold-bordered rectangle after the date which may have contained the copyistâs name is pasted over with a blank piece of paper.
The manuscript is almost complete in 225 folios, with just a few folios missing in the middle (folioÂ 85, oration Â§â¯1.163â172). It is written in beautiful and clear Naskh script, fully dotted and vocalized, with red rondelles separating the phrases, up to the end of folioÂ 187. There are many corrections and variants in the margins in different hands, annotations in Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Turkish. The title folio has numerous ownership marks, Waqf notices, and hadith praising Ê¿AlÄ«. The title folio and final folio contain verses in the genre of renunciation of worldliness. The final folio also contains, after the sign-off, additional texts attributed to Ê¿AlÄ«.
Oration texts are arranged in Sequence 1.
The added orations, letter, and sayings are transcribed, without noting that they are insertions.
An earlier unreadable form of pious invocation attached to Ê¿AlÄ«âs name in the manuscript has been systematically erased and replaced with âMay God be pleased with him (raá¸iya llÄhu Ê¿anhu),â presumably changed from a ShiÊ¿ite formula to a Sunni one.

1.5 Manuscript Family Tree

Based on four classification matrixes that will be discussed shortly, I have constructed the following family tree to show the relationships between my fourteen manuscripts. In conjunction with the matrixes, the relative chronology in the stemma provides a visual of possible parentage and sibling relationships. Some of the later manuscripts could derive from the earlier ones, or from manuscripts related to the earlier ones.

Manuscript Groups: The manuscripts may be divided into two broad groups:

Group 1:	primary manuscripts M and Y, and secondary manuscripts Z, S, Ch, T, and K.
Group 2:	primary manuscripts Sh and N, and secondary manuscripts D, Q, and A.
N.B.:	primary manuscript H and secondary manuscript L possess features from both groups.

Classification Matrixes: Four matrixes have been used to construct the stemma, weighted in the following order: (1) the principal matrix is variants in wording, then (2) sequence of texts, then (3) presence or absence of added orations, and/or (4) supplements. The place where a manuscript was copied would also have been a useful matrix but unfortunately this data is mostly not available. Raá¸Ä«, as we know, compiled Nahj al-BalÄghah in Baghdad, Iraq. Among our fourteen manuscripts, only two name the place where they were written: near RÄwand, in Isfahan, for H, and Sabzevar, in NE Iran, for D. Also, Mâs copyist was from Qum, Iran, so it may have originated there; and YaÊ¿qÅ«b (whose manuscript is the parent of Y) lived in Nishapur, so his manuscript probably originated there. It should be noted, moreover, that the manuscript genealogy is not always clear cut, and a handful of apparently contradictory positioningsâdiscussed briefly belowâcomplicate stemma relationships.

Figure 1

Nahj al-BalÄghah manuscript family tree, 5thâ7th/11thâ13thÂ c.

Table 3

Matrixes of manuscript family tree

Matrix		Group 1	Group 2
1.	Variants of words	M Y {H} / {L} Z S Ch T K	Sh N {H} / {L} D Q A
2.	Sequence of orations	followed in present edition: M [Sh] / Z S Ch [A] T K	Sequence 2: N [Y] {H} / {L} D Q
3.	Added orations	present: M Y {H} / {L} Z S Ch K	absent: Sh N / D Q A [T]
4.	YaÊ¿qÅ«b and á¸¤asan verses	absent: M Y H / {L} Z [Q] S Ch T K	present: Sh N / D A
N.B.:
â Manuscripts in this table are listed in chronological order: primary manuscripts are listed first and followed by a slash; secondary manuscripts are listed after the slash.
â Square brackets signal manuscripts that in that particular matrix are not with their variant-matrix group.
â Curly brackets are used for the Mixed Group manuscripts, H and L.

Matrix 1: Variants of Words

Based on the variant matrix, manuscripts are clustered in the two groups listed in TableÂ 3 above.³⁹ A sample list of seventeen substantive variants within the Nahj al-BalÄghah text, and variant-based manuscript distribution, is provided in TableÂ 4:

Table 4

Nahj al-BalÄghah manuscript variants

Text no.	M	Sh	N	H	Y	L	Z	D	Q	S	Ch	A	T	K	Variants
1.27	â®Ø§ÙØ¥Ø³ÙØ§Ø¨â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â	Ã	â®Ø§ÙØ¥Ø³ÙØ§Ø¨â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥Ø³ÙØ§Ø¨â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥Ø³ÙØ§Ø¨â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥Ø³ÙØ§Ø¨â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥Ø³ÙØ§Ø¨â¬â	â®Ø¨Ø§ÙØ¥Ø³ÙØ§Ø¨ / Ø¨Ø§ÙØ£Ø³Ø¯Ø§Ø¯â¬â
1.27	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø³Ø¯ÙÙØ§â¬â	Ã	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø³Ø¯ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø³Ø¯ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø³Ø¯ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø°ÙÙÙØ§ / Ø³Ø¯ÙÙØ§â¬â
1.80.11	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§ / Ø¯ÙØ§ÙÙØ§â¬â
1.102.2	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ´ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ´ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ´ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ´ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ´ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ´ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨ÙÙ/ ÙØ´ÙÙâ¬â
1.161.1	â®Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©Øâ¬â	â®Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ© / Ø£Ø¨Ø¯ÙÙØ©â¬â
1.166	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£ØºØ±Ø§Ø±ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£ØºØ±Ø§Ø±ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£ØºØ±Ø§Ø±ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£ØºØ±Ø§Ø±ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£ØºØ±Ø§Ø±ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£ØºØ±Ø§Ø±ÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙâ¬â	Ã	â®Ø£Ø¹Ø±Ø§Ø¨ÙÙ / Ø£ØºØ±Ø§Ø±ÙÙâ¬â
1.170.2	â®ÙØ¨Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØªâ¬â	â®ÙØ¨Ùâ¬â	Ã	â®Ø¨ÙÙÙØª/ ÙØ¨Ùâ¬â
1.171.2	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ØºÙØ± ÙØ§Ø¶Øâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â	Ã	â®Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙ / Ø£Ø¹ÙÙÙÙâ¬â
1.183.2	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¶ÙÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¶ÙÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¶ÙÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¶ÙÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®Ø¶ÙÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµØ¨ÙØªâ¬â	â®ØµÙØ¨ÙØª/ Ø¶ÙÙÙØªâ¬â
1.183.2	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ®ÙØ© / Ø§ÙÙØÙØ©â¬â
1.196	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ùâ¬â	â®Ø¢ÙØ§Ù / Ø¥ÙØ§Ùâ¬â
2.10	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â	â®ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â	â®ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â	â®ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙÙØ¬ÙÙÙ/ ÙÙÙØ¬Ùâ¬â
2.28.2	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙÙâ¬â	Ã	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙÙâ¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â	â®Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙÙ / Ø¬Ø§ÙÙÙÙØªÙØ§â¬â
2.45.4	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØ¶ÙØ¡â¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØ¶ÙØ¡â¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØ¶ÙØ¡â¬â	â®ÙØ§ÙØ¶ÙØ¡ ÙÙ Ø§ÙØ¶ÙØ¡ / ÙØ§ÙØµÙÙ ÙÙ Ø§ÙØµÙÙâ¬â
3.33	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¹Ø§Ø¬Ø²â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¹Ø§Ø¬Ø²â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¹Ø§Ø¬Ø²â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¹Ø§Ø¬Ø²â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø±â¬â	â®Ø§ÙÙØ§Ø¬Ø± / Ø§ÙØ¹Ø§Ø¬Ø²â¬â
3.137	Ã	â®Ø£ÙØ±â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ø£ÙØ±â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â	â®Ø£ÙØ±â¬â	â®Ø£ÙØ±â¬â	â®Ø£ÙØ± / Ù±ÙØ±Ø¦â¬â
3. 237	Ã	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	Ã	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ£ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â	â®Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ© / Ø§ÙØ£ÙØ§ÙØ©â¬â

Matrix 2: Sequence of Orations

Our manuscripts transcribe Nahj al-BalÄghahâs orations in two different sequences, and these have been described earlier as Sequence 1, which is followed in the present edition, and Sequence 2, which is not.

Matrix 3: Added Orations

The six orations inserted into Raá¸Ä«âs original (Â§â¯1.233â238) are found in all manuscripts in Group 1, except T (which is missing all end texts anyway), and they are also found in H from the Mixed Group. The added letter (Â§â¯2.79) is transcribed in all our manuscripts and is thus not particularly useful as a matrix for mapping the family tree. Similarly, the added sayings (Â§â¯3.430â446) are also present in all our manuscripts except M and T. Two manuscripts, S and Ch, include only fifteen out of seventeen added sayings, and they may be more closely related to each other than to others in their group.

Matrix 4: YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs and á¸¤asanâs verses

YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs and á¸¤asanâs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah are found in all manuscripts of Group 2, except Q.⁴⁰ In Sh and N, though, these are presumably later additions, as these manuscripts predate the poets. Further supplementary materials are also found in some Group 2 manuscripts:

FanjkurdÄ«âs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah are transcribed in N, Q, and A. In N, this is presumably a later addition, as the manuscript predates the poet.
Inscriptions of Ê¿AlÄ«âs signet rings are transcribed in D and A.

NB: Lost Parent Manuscripts

Some of our manuscripts derive from three lost parent manuscripts transcribed by the following scholars:

YaÊ¿qÅ«b al-NaysÄbÅ«rÄ« (d.Â 474/1081), who copied his manuscript from, or checked it against, Raá¸Ä«âs original. Our manuscript Y is copied from it, Nâs copyist consulted it, and the copyists of D and Aâbecause they contain YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs versesâmay have consulted it or a manuscript derived from it.
Faá¸lallÄh al-RÄwandÄ« (d.Â 571/1175), who copied his manuscript in 511/1117 from Raá¸Ä«âs original. Our manuscript H is copied from it.
Ibn al-SakÅ«n (d. ca.Â 600/1204). Our manuscript K is copied from it.

2 Previous Editions

From the late 1800s onward, Nahj al-BalÄghah has been printed numerous times, including the printing with Muá¸¥ammad Ê¿Abduhâs commentary, first published by al-Maá¹baÊ¿ah al-Adabiyyah in Beirut in 1885. Most Nahj al-BalÄghah printings are trade editions which do not mention any manuscripts at all, and their texts contain unflagged insertions of headings and words, as well as numerous errors.

Two mistranscriptions are egregious and stem from anti-ShiÊ¿i bias:

Â§â¯3.174: The original, transcribed thus in all the early manuscripts that I consulted and all the medieval commentaries that I looked at,⁴¹ is as follows: âHow strange! So, the caliphate can be justified through the Prophetâs companionship, but not through companionship and kinship together?â (â®ÙØ§Ø¹Ø¬Ø¨Ø§Ù Ø£ØªÙÙÙ Ø§ÙØ®ÙØ§ÙØ© Ø¨Ø§ÙØµØØ§Ø¨Ø© ÙÙØ§ ØªÙÙÙ Ø¨Ø§ÙØµØØ§Ø¨Ø© ÙØ§ÙÙØ±Ø§Ø¨Ø©â¬â). In the print editions, this is changed by dropping a few words in the middleââ®ÙÙØ§ ØªÙÙÙ Ø¨Ø§ÙØµØØ§Ø¨Ø©â¬ââto mean something quite different: âHow strange that the caliphate is justified through companionship and kinship!â (â®ÙØ§Ø¹Ø¬Ø¨Ø§Ù Ø£ØªÙÙÙ Ø§ÙØ®ÙØ§ÙØ© Ø¨Ø§ÙØµØØ§Ø¨Ø© ÙØ§ÙÙØ±Ø§Ø¨Ø©â¬â).⁴²
Â§â¯3.237: The original, transcribed thus in all my primary manuscripts, and all except S and Ch of the secondary manuscripts, is as follows: â®ÙØ±Ø¶ Ø§ÙÙÙ â¦ Ø§ÙØ¥ÙØ§ÙØ© ÙØ¸Ø§ÙÙØ§ ÙÙØ£ÙÙØ©â¬â (God has mandated the imamate as a system of governance for the community.) In modern printings, deriving perhaps from the later manuscript tradition (cf. S and Ch, just mentioned), the word imÄmah (imamate) is changed to amÄnah (trustworthiness), by replacing the letter âMâ with âN.â⁴³

Modern critical editions have been published by two scholars:

HÄshim MÄ«lÄnÄ«, Najaf: Maktabat al-Rawá¸ah al-á¸¤aydariyyah, 2009. MÄ«lÄnÄ« consulted the manuscripts I have labelled M and D, and two more from the 6th/12th century located in Iranian libraries.
Qays Bahjat Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är, Qum: MuÊ¾assasat al-RÄfid, 2010. Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är consulted the 5th/11th century manuscripts I have labelled M and N, and two more partial, undated ones, presumably from the 6th/12th or 7th/13th century. In a different edition (Najaf: al-Ê¿Atabah al-Ê¿Alawiyyah al-Muqaddasah, 2016), in which he focused on establishing Ibn al-SakÅ«nâs vocalization of Nahj al-BalÄghah, Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är consulted two manuscripts derived from Ibn al-SakÅ«nâs original manuscript, including the manuscript I have labelled K, and another, also from the 7th/13th century.

Although these are welcome and relatively accurate editions, MÄ«lÄnÄ« and Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är do not use my primary manuscripts Sh, Y, or H, nor my secondary manuscripts L, Z, Q, S, Ch, A, and T.Â Neither scholar flags the added orations or letter as insertions. Neither constructs a manuscript stemma or lays out a concerted methodology. Furthermore, they do not note the substantive variants in an efficient manner: MÄ«lÄnÄ« notes only some substantive variants; his focus is on providing meanings of difficult words. Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är in his 2010 editionâan otherwise excellent edition and remarkably free of typographical errorsâlists all differences in vocalization. This is a redundant, or, at best, a secondary exercise, and it has come at a cost: the profusion of vocalization differences in the notes obscures the fewer, scattered substantive variants. The original vocalization is not ascertainable in any case, for there is no evidence to suggest that Raá¸Ä« vocalized his compilation let alone to establish the exact vowels that Ê¿AlÄ« used in his oral deliveries. Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är also lists all variants noted in the manuscriptsâ marginsâthis adds to the reception data (albeit sketchily, because we donât know for the most part when these variants were added to the margins or by who), but it further obscures the manuscriptsâ text collation. These editions are also not easily available.

3 This Edition

In formulating a new critical edition of Nahj al-BalÄghah, I have relied principally on my five primary manuscripts: the three earliest extant 5th/11th-century manuscripts of Nahj al-BalÄghah, M, Sh, and N, as well as Y, which was copied from a 5th/11th-century manuscript, and H, which was copied from an early 6th/12th-century manuscript. As noted earlier, M is believed to have been copied from a manuscript authorized by Raá¸Ä«, and the parent manuscripts of H and Y are said to have been copied from Raá¸Ä«âs own manuscript. Substantial variants among these primary manuscripts are relatively few in number.

The manuscript history of the text is extremely complicated, and each of the manuscripts passed through many hands, soâdespite best efforts to untangle study notices and colophonsâit is extremely difficult to fully tease out what corrections were made, when they were made, by whom they were made, and which other manuscripts or resources were used to make them. Also, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain the original transcription from a later correction. Despite recourse to these precious early manuscripts, then, it is still not possible to definitively determine the entirety of Raá¸Ä«âs original text (or, for that matter, his sequence of orations). In the case of some textual variants, the early manuscripts often present two choices that appear equally plausible in the historical, grammatical, and rhetorical context. Indeed, oftentimes the copyists themselves offer two possible readings, marked with the word maÊ¿a (both), meaning both readings, according to them, are equally plausible. However, using the method described below, I believe I have constructed the close-to-best version we can hope to attainâbarring somebody finding Raá¸Ä«âs autograph manuscript!

3.1 Substantive Features of this Edition

The present edition relies principally on the five primary manuscripts M, Sh, N, H, and Y. Of these, there is no one manuscript, and no one group, which consistently gives an indisputably better reading. Although some scholars have claimed one or the other of these as the best manuscript, I do not agree that there is a clear frontrunner. So, where the primary manuscripts differ, I use my best judgment: where they are strongly weighted toward one reading, I prioritize that majority reading; where they are nearly equally distributed, I choose the reading I deem most appropriate to the literary and historical context.
I footnote all substantial variants occurring in my primary manuscripts. The secondary manuscripts from the 6th/12th and 7th/13th centuries are invoked only for variants in the first folios that are missing from the primary manuscripts, and for the substantive variants listed in TableÂ 4 above.
The manuscripts contain numerous variations in minor components such as conjunctions, prepositions, orthography, number, tense, and gender within Ê¿AlÄ«âs texts, and more so within Raá¸Ä«âs headers and explanations. For these minor variations, I mostly follow M. I do not footnote these variants except in the few cases where they make a substantive difference to the meaning, for this would obscure the significant variants while not adding to our understanding of the material. Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är in his 2010 edition has listed all minor variations and the interested reader can find them there.
In sequencing orations, I follow the primary manuscripts M, Sh, and others described earlier as Sequence 1.
I transcribe the inserted orations, letter, and sayings following each of the three main chapters, under the sub-heading â®Ø²ÙØ§Ø¯Ø© Ø¹ÙÙ Ø§ÙØ£ØµÙâ¬â, set apart from the original text by the sub-heading and a smaller font.

3.2 Formal Features of this Edition

Except for lines from the QurÊ¾an and poetry, which are fully vocalized, I vocalize only those parts of the text where the meaning and correct vocalization may not be obvious to an educated reader of classical Arabic.
For accessibility, I number the texts, divide them into paragraphs, and add minimal punctuation.
I present Ê¿AlÄ«âs words in a larger font, and Raá¸Ä«âs occasional comments in a smaller font, to further distinguish between the two.
I follow standard rather than archaic orthography (e.g., â®Ø¥Ø³ØØ§Ùâ¬â versus â®Ø¥Ø³ØÙâ¬â).
Manuscripts differ in rendering pious formulae attached to the name of God and exalted personages in Islam (details were provided earlier for the primary manuscripts). I follow the majority reading, which, I believe, would follow Raá¸Ä«âs original rendering. Note, however, that some formulae may be copyist additions or modifications.
A few lines of poetry are cited in the text, and I identify their meters in the footnotes.
Section headings are original from the manuscripts, and I retain them. The titles provided in most Nahj al-BalÄghah printings are later copyist additions that are not found in the earliest manuscripts, and I do not transcribe those.
I have used ï´¾Â ï´¿ for quotations from the QurÊ¾an, and â¨Â â© for hadith, proverbs, and half-lines of poetry. I have used â¨Â â© also for citation of phrases from the text that Raá¸Ä« is explaining in his subsequent commentary, and for variants in my footnotes.

4 Previous Translations

Beginning in the middle of the twentieth century, several English translations of Nahj al-BalÄghah, full or partial, were published in Iran and South Asia, most of them produced via a previous Persian translation. They render some lines effectively, but, for the most part, there is room for improvement: they are inaccurate in places and their English is frequently pedantic.⁴⁴ Two partial translationsâselections from the sayings translated by Thomas Cleary (1996),⁴⁵ and the Testament of al-Ashtar (Â§â¯2.53) translated by William Chittick (1981)⁴⁶âare fairly accurate and idiomatic.

5 This Translation

Translating Nahj al-BalÄghah has been a supremely daunting task. The oceans of meaning infused into its lines cannot be fully plumbed, for a translation loses native implications and associations, while at the same time adding foreign ones. Neither can the eloquence of the Arabic be matched, for the texture of the language and its rhythms and metaphors cannot be reproduced. What I have attempted to doâgiven that any who set out on this path, no matter how careful and prepared they may be, can only fall shortâis to come as close to the original as I can, both in meaning and in beauty.

Two guiding principles drive my methodology: Firstâto quote Aristotleâthe whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and word-by-word translation fails to capture the clear simplicity of Ê¿AlÄ«âs expositions. Au contraire, it can lead to a meaningless conglomeration of high-sounding words, as has happened in prior renditions. Instead, it is important for the translator to read each original Arabic sentence as a single unit, to understand Ê¿AlÄ«âs concepts, with all their rich nuances, as best as she can, then render them forcefully into cogent English. Another aspect of this first principle is to bear in mind the contextâhistorical, political, religious, cultural, and literary, among othersâwhich is crucial for accurate translation. Accordingly, I have consulted the major Nahj al-BalÄghah commentaries for lexical, contextual, and idiomatic insights, the major premodern lexicons for early usages of Arabic words, and historical and literary works, as well as books from various other genres from the classical Arabic library, for both the specific and the larger milieu of each text. Yet another aspect of this principle is maintaining the formal register. The Arabic of Nahj al-BalÄghah is different than more informal conversations reported from Ê¿AlÄ«âs time, or even the more formal narrative prose of early histories; nowhere is the tone colloquial or chatty. Its texts deal with the serious subjects of salvation, succession, and war, and the translation attempts to maintain that gravitas. Yet, it is also important to bear in mind that Ê¿AlÄ«âs orations and letters were meant to be understood by their contemporary addressees. Since the audience was usually large and public, accessible vocabulary was presumably chosen, and, with some exceptions, rare words were avoided. Although the lexicon seems archaic to us now, that was not the case in its time. Keeping my translation in line with what I believe was the authorâs intent of clarity, I endeavor to render the text into lucid, modern English.

My second principleâwhich is particular to literary translationâis to maintain, as far as possible, the aesthetic spirit of the original. The first aspect of this principle is to preserve where possible the rhythm, especially the parallelism and pithy cadences, of the Arabic words. The second aspect is to keep the culture-specific imagery intact where possible, and not substitute it with foreign or anachronistic renderings. The third and most difficult aspect is to bring out the desert-and-camel metaphors that underpin the vocabulary, especially the verbs, which most prior translations have erased. An especially complicated example in which a heap of camel imagery is infused into a single verb, fawwaqa, is Â§â¯1.74: â®Ø¥ÙÙ Ø¨ÙÙ Ø£ÙÙÙØ© ÙÙÙÙÙÙÙÙÙÙ ØªØ±Ø§Ø« ÙØÙÙØ¯ ØªÙÙÙÙÙØ§â¬â. I have translated this line with some (warranted, I think) prolixity as âThe Umayyads stingily throw at me my share of Muá¸¥ammadâs inheritance, piece by piece, like those who allow a camel-calf to suckle its mother only lightly, at intervals.â Others have expunged the imagery to translate the line as, âThe Umayyads are allowing me the inheritance of Muá¸¥ammad bit (by bit).â Yet another challenging line is Â§â¯1.80.4: â®ÙØ£ÙØ¬Ù Ø§ÙØ¹Ø±Ùâ¬â which I have translated as âThroats choke on sweat like a camel chokes on its bridle-straps.â Others have removed the underpinning animal image to translate the line as, âSweat would choke the throat.â Bringing in the underlying metaphorical associations of the Arabic words, while preserving the clarity and vigor of the English, has called for a delicateâand highly challenging!âbalance.

Additionally in this translation, I have:

Added words to unpack the dense Arabic, but only minimally, preserving apparently deliberate ambiguities.
Modified syntax and morphology for an idiomatic English rendering,
Replaced pronouns with names, and added the name of fame, where needed for clarity.
Changed some pronouns for idiomatic English rendering, sometimes changing third grammatical person to first, or singular to plural, when denoting generic humans, plural to singular when primarily denoting the speaker, Ê¿AlÄ«, and so on.
Translated a single Arabic word differently in different places, depending on contextâe.g., Ê¿Ämil is translated variously as âgovernor,â âagent,â âadministrator,â or âtax-collectorâ; á¸¥aqq is sometimes rendered as âtruth,â and sometimes as âright,â while its opposite, bÄá¹il, is sometimes rendered as âfalsehoodâ and sometimes as âwrong.â
Where the referent is clear, used lowercase for pronouns and adjectives referring to God.
Used my own translations of QurÊ¾anic verses, to maintain consistency and to highlight a given verseâs meaning in its context.
Omitted pious invocations attached to the name of God, and of the Prophet Muá¸¥ammad, Ê¿AlÄ«, and other revered figures, for a smoother reading (these are preserved in the Arabic text).
Replaced âCommander of the Faithfulâ in a few places with âÊ¿AlÄ«.â
Retained the masculine gender in generic references to humans, following classical Arabic practice.
Translated some technical religious terms differently from their conventional English rendering, to better reflect the spirit of the word: e.g. I translate âIslamâ as âcommitment to Godâs willâ (rather than âsubmissionâ); taqwÄ as âpietyâ or being âconscious of Godâ or âgodfearingâ (rather than âfear of Godâ); zuhd as ârejection of worldlinessâ or âindifference to the worldâ (rather than ârejection of the worldâ or âasceticismâ); and bidÊ¿ah as âheresyâ or âheretical innovationâ and not simply âinnovation.â
Sometimes used the neutral form âitâ for pronouns referring to the world (dunyÄ), while at other times, when the context is clearly playing to the metaphor of the world as temptress, the feminine âsheâ (note that the word dunyÄ is feminine in Arabic).
Translated the standard post-benedictions phrase, ammÄ baÊ¿du (lit. âAs for what comes afterâ), as âAnd now to the matter at hand.â I have removed the phrase whenever it occurs at the beginning of a text, and sometimes also after the beginning âfromâ line (it is retained in the Arabic).
Removed the prefacing words, âÊ¿AlÄ« said,â from most places in the Sayings section (they are retained in the Arabic).
As in the edition, presented the text of Ê¿AlÄ«âs words in a larger font, and Raá¸Ä«âs occasional prefaces and comments to Ê¿AlÄ«âs text in a smaller font.
Used Â«Â Â» for quotations from the QurÊ¾an, and â¨Â â© for hadith, proverbs, and half-lines of poetry.
I have varied between the more formal âdo notâ and the less formal âdonâtââand done the same for other contractionsâto best fit the register of each text.
To identify Raá¸Ä«âs occasional comments, I preface them with his name followed by a colon, viz., âRaá¸Ä«:â. The notation appears in some manuscripts too, in some places with the first-person pronoun (âI sayâ), but more frequently as âThe Sayyid [al-Raá¸Ä«] said (wa-qÄla al-sayyid),â where the use of the honorific âal-sayyidâ indicates a copyist addition.
As in the Edition, I have transcribed the additional orations, letter, and sayings, following each of the three main chapters, under the sub-heading âAdditional Orationsâ (or: Letter, or: Sayings), set apart from the original text by the sub-heading and a smaller font.

Where available from the commentaries and historical sources, I have provided in a note for each text, its context, date, and place; I have also identified unnamed individuals therein.⁴⁷ Further details of people, places, and terms are provided in the Glossary. Additionally, I have provided notes to unpack cryptic lines, but minimally, since this is a translation and not a commentary. A modern English commentaryâparticularly on the pithy sayingsâwould be a wonderful addition to the Nahj al-BalÄghah library, but that is a project for another time!

In a series of articles from 1986/1987 to 1992, Ê¿Abd al-Ê¿AzÄ«z á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä« listed and described 172 manuscripts from the 5th/11th through the 12th/18th centuries: á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ« min makhá¹Å«á¹Ät Nahj al-balÄghah,â 62â102, MSS Â§â¯1â86; á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âMÄ tabaqqÄ min makhá¹Å«á¹Ät Nahj al-balÄghah,â 13â36, MSS Â§â¯87â147; á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âFÄ« Riá¸¥Äb Nahj al-BalÄghah: Makhá¹Å«á¹Äá¹uhu,â 3:7â20, MSS Â§â¯148â172. In a 2016 online article, á¸¤usayn MuttaqÄ« listed 458 manuscripts from the 5th/11th through the early 14th/ late 19th centuries: Iá¹lÄlah Ê¿alÄ makhá¹Å«á¹Ät Nahj al-balÄghah fÄ« al-maktabÄt al-Ê¿Älamiyyah, http://manuscripts.ir/fa/90/â®Ø¨Ø§ÙÚ©-Ø§Ø·ÙØ§Ø¹Ø§Øªâ¬â-news/â®Ø¥Ø·ÙØ§ÙØ©-Ø¹ÙÙ-ÙØ®Ø·ÙØ·Ø§Øª-ÙÙØ¬-Ø§ÙØ¨ÙØ§ØºØ©-ÙÙ-Ø§ÙÙÙØªØ¨Ø§Øª-Ø§ÙØ¹Ø§ÙÙÙØ©â¬â-3835/â®ÙÙØ§ÙØ§Øªâ¬â; also listed and further manuscripts added in his 2019 publication, MuÊ¿jam al-ÄthÄr al-makhá¹Å«á¹ah fÄ« al-ImÄm Ê¿AlÄ«, pp.Â 374â386.

I collected copies of eleven additional early manuscripts dating from the 7thâ9th/13thâ15th centuries, located in Iranian and Turkish libraries; I eventually decided not to consult them for the present edition, realizing that they would clutter the apparatus without adding anything new. All the manuscripts are relevant, however, to the textâs reception history, which awaits detailed study.

According to Ibn AbÄ« al-á¸¤adÄ«d (á¸¤ 20:180) and Baá¸¥rÄnÄ« (BÂ 1029), whose comments are cited at the end of the present editionâs notes. As Raá¸Ä« mentions in his conclusion, he left spaces at the end of each of his three sections for himself or others to write in additional texts, and scholars appear to have done so.

The final folioÂ 171^v (p.Â 335 of facsim. ed.) contains a mostly undotted date: (â®Ø³ÙØ© ÙÙÙØ¹ ÙÙÙØªÚº ÙØ§Ø±ÙÙÙØ§ÙÙÛâ¬â) that can be read as âsanata tisÊ¿in [or: sabÊ¿in] wa-sittÄ«na wa-arbaÊ¿i-miÊ¾ah (in the year nine [or: seven] and sixty and four hundred).â AfandÄ« (RiyÄá¸ al-Ê¿ulamÄÊ¾, 49) confirms the 469â¯AH dating.

PartÂ 1âfols.Â 1^râ91^v (pp.Â 1â174 of facsim. ed.)âincludes Raá¸Ä«âs introduction and orations Â§â¯1.1 to Â§â¯1.186. PartÂ 2âfols.Â 92^vâ171^v (pp.Â 176â335 of facsim. ed.)âbegins with oration Â§â¯1.187 and goes to the end of the compilation.

http://arabic.balaghah.net/sites/default/files/book/l164/1.pdf.

AfandÄ«, RiyÄá¸ al-Ê¿ulamÄÊ¾, 2:87, in his biography of the copyist, Ibn al-MuÊ¾addib. AfandÄ« adds that Ibn al-MuÊ¾addib received a license to transmit the text from his teacher, JaÊ¿far ibn Muá¸¥ammad ibn al-Ê¿AbbÄs al-DÅ«rÄ«stÄ«, and that the well-known early commentator of the text Quá¹b al-DÄ«n al-RÄwandÄ« (d.Â 573/1177) transmitted in turn from him (ibid., 2:79); see more on Ibn al-MuÊ¾addib in ibid., 2:43, 49.

á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âal-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:62, MS Â§â¯1.

There are two cases of misnumbering in the facsim. ed.: (1) Fol.Â 42^rv (pp.Â 75â76) and fol.Â 43^r (p.Â 77) are incorrectly numbered and switched around; the editor is mistaken in noting that three folios after fol.Â 43 are missing. (2) The numbering jumps from fol.Â 109 to fol.Â 111âthere is no fol.Â 110âbut no text is missing.

The date is transcribed on the penultimate folio as âthe month of Rajab, in the [Hijri] year four hundred and [undotted number].â An entry on a prefatory folio clarifies the undotted number as six, saying, âThis manuscript was written in Rajab, 406â¯AH [1015 or 1016â¯AD].â To complicate matters, though, the final folio contains verses of praise for the work by YaÊ¿qÅ«b, who died in 474â¯AH, and his son á¸¤asan, who died in 517â¯AH, with blessings for the deceased invoked for bothâif the manuscript date of 406â¯AH is correct, as it appears to be, the verses must be a later addition.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âFÄ« Riá¸¥Äb,â 29:8 MS Â§â¯148.

Also, folios containing oration Â§â¯1.80.6 (from: satarahÄ Ê¿ankum) to Â§â¯1.88.7 (to: aw sÄÊ¿in á¸¥Äfid) are misplaced in the facsimile edition, where they are transcribed within Â§â¯1.104.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:64, MS Â§â¯3.

Faá¸lallÄh transcribes YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs verses (p.Â 316) and says they âwere written by YaÊ¿qÅ«b in his own hand in his manuscript of this work,â perhaps indicating that he had seen the verses in YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs manuscript and thus, presumably, the rest of the manuscript too.

The 494/1101 dating is corroborated by the fact that the final folios contain YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs and á¸¤asanâs verses in praise of Nahj al-BalÄghah and the copyist pronounces the formula of blessings for the deceased for the former, and a prayer for the long life of the latterâthus confirming the dating of the manuscript between the deaths of the two men, in 474/1081 and 517/1123 respectively.

The facsim. ed. has inserted folios from a later manuscript to fill this lacunaâthose are not consulted in the present edition.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:71, MS Â§â¯17.

The first part contains Raá¸Ä«âs introduction to the end of oration Â§â¯1.182, with a tag saying it is the end of part one. The second part contains oration Â§â¯1.183â190, followed by the chapter on letters, etc., to the end of the book.

The sequence of added orations in MS H is different than their sequence in the other manuscripts, and the same as MS Y, viz., Â§â¯1.238, 1.237, 1.233, 1.236, 1.234. These are followed by the phrase, âend of additional textsâ (intahat al-ziyÄdah), then another phrase, â[another] additional [oration] from a Baghdad manuscriptâ (ziyÄdah min nuskhah BaghdÄdiyyah), followed by the added oration Â§â¯1.235.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:77, MS Â§â¯33.

As seen from the colophon on p.Â 2.

Another colophon states that âRaá¸Ä« wrote in his own hand here on the margin of his [original] manuscriptâ a lexical explanation for a word transcribed in saying Â§â¯3.436 (p.Â 383). There is a similar colophon for saying Â§â¯3.355 (p.Â 359). á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä« (âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:77) says, âit appears that [YaÊ¿qÅ«b] copied his manuscript from al-SharÄ«f al-Raá¸Ä«âs original manuscript in his own hand.â

The facsimile editionâs sequence of folios containing orations Â§â¯1.88â111 is jumbled.

The added orations are in a different order than several other manuscripts, presented in two parts: The âAdditional textsâ title is followed by five added orations (Â§â¯1.238, 237, 233, 236, 234, in this order), followed by a line stating, âEnd of extra textsâ (intahat al-ziyÄdah), followed by another line stating, âIn a Baghdadi manuscript there is an addition from an oration by [Ê¿AlÄ«] in which he speaks of Muá¸¥ammadâs family,â followed by oration Â§â¯1.235.

Ibn al-SakÅ«n was born in á¸¤illah, and lived in Baghdad, Medina, and Damascus. His biography is transcribed from Muá¸¥ibb al-DÄ«n Ibn al-NajjÄr, MÄ«rzÄ AfandÄ«, YÄqÅ«t al-á¸¤amawÄ«, and other medieval scholars by Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är in the Introduction (pp.Â 10â13) of his 2016 ed. of Ibn al-SakÅ«nâs Nahj al-BalÄghah manuscript.

Listed cursorily by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:67, MS Â§â¯11; listed also by Waseem and Naqavi, Nahjul Balagha, 30.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:69, MS Â§â¯15; listed also by Waseem and Naqavi, Nahjul Balagha, 30.

PartÂ 1 contains Raá¸Ä«âs introduction to the end of oration Â§â¯1.190, with a line stating it is the end of part one. PartÂ 2 contains oration Â§â¯1.191 to the end of the book.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:69â70, MS Â§â¯16.

á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä« (âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:70) incorrectly states that the last folios containing sayings Â§â¯210â350 are also missing.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:71, MS Â§â¯18.

Two foliosâcontaining sayings Â§â¯3.345 to the middle of Â§â¯3.352âare misplaced, and come at the end of the volume, after the copyistâs name and FanjkurdÄ«âs verses.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:72, MS Â§â¯20.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:73, MS Â§â¯22. The Chester Beatty catalog incorrectly attributes it (Ã la Ibn KhallikÄn) to al-SharÄ«f al-Murtaá¸Ä.

Not listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«.â

Oration Â§â¯1.231 is also missing, and Â§â¯1.177 is (mis)placed between Â§â¯1.230 and Â§â¯1.232.

Listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«,â 5:77, MS Â§â¯34.

Not listed by á¹¬abÄá¹abÄÊ¾Ä«, âAl-MutabaqqÄ«.â Used by Ê¿Aá¹á¹Är (he calls it MS âS-Tâ) in his 2016 edition of Ibn al-SakÅ«nâs copy of Nahj al-BalÄghah (see his description of the manuscript in ibid., 38â43).

Note that H and L contain almost an equal number of variants from both groups. Aâwhich is categorized in Group 2âcontains three variants from Group 1.

Surprisingly, Group 1âs manuscript Yâsaid to be copied from YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs own manuscriptâdoes not contain YaÊ¿qÅ«bâs verses. Perhaps they were present in the original Y, and in H, and the end folios containing them are lost.

E.g., Ibn AbÄ« al-á¸¤adÄ«d, Shará¸¥ Nahj al-balÄghah, 18:416, Â§â¯185.

E.g., Ê¿Abduh, Shará¸¥ Nahj al-balÄghah, 502, Â§â¯190.

E.g., Ê¿Abduh, Shará¸¥ Nahj al-balÄghah, 512, Â§â¯252. The original Ibn AbÄ« al-á¸¤adÄ«d commentary appears to have transcribed imÄmah, and the later manuscript tradition appears to have changed it to amÄnah: the text before the commentary has amÄnah (á¸¤ 19:86, Â§â¯249), but the explanation (á¸¤ 19:90) has retained the original imÄmah.

E.g., Â§â¯1.88: AshbÄá¸¥, the name of an oration which speaks of the creation of sky and angels, in my translation, âEthereal Forms,â which several prior translators have incorrectly rendered as âSkeletonsâ (https://www.al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-1-sermons/sermon-91-praise-belongs-god-who, accessed MayÂ 18, 2023).

Cleary, Living and Dying with Grace: Counsels of Hadrat Ali.

Chittick, A ShiÊ¿ite Anthology, 67â89.

When a text is dated to Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate without a specific year, I have transcribed the dates of his full reign, 35â40/656â661, in order to avoid confusion. It should be noted however that Ê¿AlÄ« was pledged allegiance in the last month of 35â¯AH, and most of the texts from his caliphate are from early 36â¯AH onward. Ê¿Abd al-ZahrÄÊ¾, Maá¹£Ädir Nahj al-balÄghah, contains further context for some texts, accompanied by primary source quotes.

() (fl. 14th c. BC), a prophet in Islam, Mosesâ brother, whom he appointed over the Israelites.

(d.Â ca.Â 32/653), from the HÄshim clan of Quraysh, paternal uncle of Muá¸¥ammad and Ê¿AlÄ« and eponym of the Abbasid dynasty.

(d. between 18/639 and 35/656), of the Sulaym tribe, pagan poet and warrior who converted to Islam after Muá¸¥ammadâs conquest of Mecca.

caliphal dynasty that came to power in 132/750 after defeating the Umayyads and ended in 656/1258 with the sack of their capital, Baghdad, by the Mongols.

(d.Â 68/686), Ê¿AlÄ«âs cousin, governor, and staunch supporter, who fought in all his battles, a prolific hadith narrator and esteemed scholar.

See Ibn al-KawwÄÊ¾

(d.Â ca.Â 38/658), stepbrother of á¹¬alá¸¥ah ibn Ê¿UbaydallÄh and the agent MuÊ¿Äwiyah sent to recruit in Basra after the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. Ibn al-á¸¤aá¸ramÄ« was killed by Ê¿AlÄ«âs agent, JÄriyah ibn QudÄmah al-SaÊ¿dÄ«. (See further: á¸¤ 4:34â53.)

(d. after 80/699), from the HÄshim clan of Quraysh, son of JaÊ¿far al-á¹¬ayyÄr, who was killed in the Battle of MuÊ¾tah. Ê¿AbdallÄh was Ê¿AlÄ«âs nephew, son-in-law, and staunch supporter.

(or Dujunnah, or Diá¸¥yah, lived during Ê¿AlÄ«âs r. 35â40/656â661), one of Ê¿AlÄ«âs followers who narrated his words. Not much is said about him in the sources, as evidenced also by the confusion about his name. (See further: á¸¤ 13:18; BÂ 680.)

(d.Â ca.Â 32/653), early Companion of Muá¸¥ammad and prolific transmitter of hadith, famed also for his knowledge of the QurÊ¾an. He opposed Ê¿UthmÄnâs standardization of the holy book. He settled in Kufa, where he taught, and Ê¿AlÄ« reportedly encouraged the Kufans to respect Ibn MasÊ¿Å«dâs teachings.

see AbÅ« MÅ«sÄ al-AshÊ¿arÄ«

(d.Â 73/692), from the Jumaá¸¥ clan of Quraysh, who fought with á¹¬alá¸¥ah and Zubayr at the Battle of the Camel against Ê¿AlÄ« and escaped from the battlefield. Later, he became a follower of Ibn al-Zubayr and was killed with him. (See further: BÂ 652; á¸¤ 11:125.)

(d.Â 73/693), son of the second caliph, Ê¿Umar, brother-in-law of Muá¸¥ammad, and prolific transmitter of hadith. Ibn Ê¿Umar was among the handful of prominent Companions who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ« and sat out his battles.

(d. after 40/661), from the Asad clan of Quraysh, one of Ê¿AlÄ«âs followers, even though Ê¿AlÄ« had slain his father, uncle, and brother at the Battle of Badr. Brother of Muá¸¥ammadâs wife Sawdah bint ZamaÊ¿ah, Ê¿AbdallÄh married a daughter of another of Muá¸¥ammadâs wives, Umm Salamah, from her previous marriage. (See further: BÂ 678; á¸¤ 13:10.)

(d.Â 73/692), son of the prominent Companion al-Zubayr ibn al-Ê¿AwwÄm, who fought with his father against Ê¿AlÄ« in the Battle of the Camel. During Umayyad rule, Ibn al-Zubayr laid claim to the caliphate and exercised control over the á¸¤ijÄz and Iraq for almost a decade before being killed by Umayyad forces.

(d.Â 86/705), son of the Umayyad caliph MarwÄn I and half-brother of the Umayyad caliph Ê¿Abd al-Malik. He served under both as governor of Egypt.

(r. 65â86/685â705), Umayyad caliph.

(fl. 6th c. AD), chieftain of Quraysh, whose son HÄshim was Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs great-grandfather. His other son, Ê¿Abd Shams, was the Umayyadsâ progenitor.

(d.Â ca.Â 579â¯AD), patriarch of the HÄshim clan of Quraysh, Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs paternal grandfather. Ê¿Abd al-Muá¹á¹alib raised Muá¸¥ammad in the first eight years of his life, after the death of his parents.

(d.Â 36/656), from the Umayyad clan, killed fighting against Ê¿AlÄ« during the Battle of the Camel. (See further: BÂ 651; á¸¤ 11:123â124.)

(d.Â ca.Â 31/652), early Muslim convert from the Zuhrah clan of Quraysh, key supporter of AbÅ« Bakrâs nomination to the caliphate and presiding member of the ShÅ«rÄ Council that elected Ê¿UthmÄn.

(d. after 36/656), from the Jumaá¸¥ clan of Quraysh, fought against Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of the Camel.

(fl. 6th c. AD), chieftain of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, father of Umayyah, and great-grandfather of MuÊ¿Äwiyah. Ê¿Abd Shams and HÄshim were twins whose foreheads were reportedly separated by a sword strike, taken as an omen for enmity among their descendants.

(d.Â 1905), Grand Mufti of Egypt and Shaykh al-Azhar, author of a brief word-list commentary on Nahj al-BalÄghah, with an important introduction.

() see Cain and Abel

() a prophet in Islam, originator of the KaÊ¿bah rites. Abraham is the progenitor of the Arabs and the Jews through his sons Ishmael and Isaac respectively.

(fl. 1st/7th c.), son of Ê¿Amr ibn SufyÄn ibn Ê¿Abd Shams, commander who led MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs vanguard in the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n and served as Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£âs aide when he took Egypt for MuÊ¿Äwiyah. AbÅ« al-AÊ¿warâs mother was Christian, while his father had fought against Muá¸¥ammad at Uá¸¥ud. During the early Muslim conquests, AbÅ« al-AÊ¿war served under various Umayyad commanders in Syria and later remained attached to them.

(d.Â ca.Â 52/672), Companion of Muá¸¥ammad and supporter of Ê¿AlÄ« who participated in his battles. AbÅ« AyyÅ«b had taken part in the Muslim conquest of Egypt and later participated in the Umayyad expedition against Constantinople, where he died and is buried. (See further: á¸¤ 10:111â112; BÂ 591â592.)

(r. 11â13/632â634), of the Taym clan of Quraysh, prominent Companion of Muá¸¥ammad and first of the four Sunni caliphs. He was the father of Muá¸¥ammadâs wife Ê¿ÄÊ¾ishah.

(d.Â 32/652), Muá¸¥ammadâs Companion, Ê¿AlÄ«âs strong supporter, and pious preacher, exiled by Ê¿UthmÄn to Rabadhah for his support of Ê¿AlÄ« and his criticism of Umayyad impiety. (See further: á¸¤ 8:252â262; BÂ 473â474.)

(d.Â ca.Â 28/649), famous pre-Islamic poet of the Hudhayl tribe, who probably embraced Islam together with his tribe in 9/630.

(d.Â 59/679), Companion of Muá¸¥ammad and prolific transmitter of hadith. Although there are some contrary reports, it appears that AbÅ« Hurayrah leaned to the Umayyads. He is said to have been with Ê¿UthmÄn when he was killed, held back from pledging allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ«, and later supported MuÊ¿Äwiyah.

(d.Â 2/624), from the MakhzÅ«m clan of Quraysh, fierce enemy of Muá¸¥ammad, polemically called AbÅ« Jahl: Father of Ignorance. AbÅ« Jahl was killed fighting against Muá¸¥ammad at the Battle of Badr. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

(d.Â 74/694), from the Ê¿Ämir ibn á¹¢aÊ¿á¹£aÊ¿ah clan of the SuwÄÊ¾ tribe, who settled in Kufa. AbÅ« Juá¸¥ayfah served as chief of Ê¿AlÄ«âs police force and would stand at the foot of the pulpit when Ê¿AlÄ« orated. He narrated hadith from the Prophet and from Ê¿AlÄ«.

(fl. 6th c. AD), son of Murrah ibn Ê¿Amr from the Hudhayl tribe, pre-Islamic poet known as al-MashÊ¾Å«m (the Inauspicious One).

(d.Â 2/624), Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs paternal uncle and fierce enemy, assigned by the QurÊ¾an with his wife to hellfire (QurÊ¾an, Masad 111:1â5).

, (d.Â ca.Â 48/668), ostensibly one of Ê¿AlÄ«âs supporters but one who caused him great harm. AbÅ« MÅ«sÄ was an early convert to Islam who took part in the conquest of Iraq, served as governor of Basra under Ê¿Umar and Ê¿UthmÄn and as the locally appointed governor of Kufa at the chaotic end of Ê¿UthmÄnâs reign. When Ê¿AlÄ« instructed him to rally the Kufans in the lead-up to the Battle of the Camel, AbÅ« MÅ«sÄ refused and Ê¿AlÄ« dismissed him. He was later imposed on Ê¿AlÄ« as his representative in the post-á¹¢iffÄ«n arbitration, where he ruled against his master.

(d.Â ca.Â 62/682), Yemeni convert to Islam of ascetic bent, who settled in Syria, an associate of MuÊ¿Äwiyah, sent as emissary to Ê¿AlÄ« in the lead-up to the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n.

(d.Â 32/653), of the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs father, and leader of the Meccan opposition against Muá¸¥ammad. AbÅ« SufyÄn converted to Islam when the Muslims conquered Mecca and later participated in the Syrian conquests. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

(d.Â 620â¯AD), patriarch of the HÄshim clan of Quraysh, Ê¿AlÄ«âs father, and Muá¸¥ammadâs paternal uncle and foster-father, who offered him the clanâs protection.

(d. after 37/657), Ê¿AlÄ«âs scribe in Kufa. Not much else is known about him.

(d.Â 224/838), prolific philologist from Khurasan who authored works on lexicography, jurisprudence, QurÊ¾anic sciences, and hadith. His book titled GharÄ«b al-á¸¥adÄ«th (Rare words in the hadith) became an instant classic. Cited by RadÄ« in Nahj al-BalÄghah.

(d.Â 86/705), early convert to Islam and transmitter of hadith. AbÅ« UmÄmah served as intermediary between Ê¿AlÄ« and MuÊ¿Äwiyah during and after the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, but the reports are contradictory about where his loyalties lay.

() a prophet in Islam and the first human.

(d. after 38/658), from the tribe of Kindah, remonstrated with Ê¿AlÄ« about marching to Syria, brother of the notorious al-AshÊ¿ath ibn Qays. (See further: RÂ 1:315; BÂ 308.)

() the pre-Islamic period in which inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula worshipped idols. Ignorance here is specifically meant as ignorance of the one true God.

(lit. âpeople of the houseâ), Muá¸¥ammadâs family, according to the ShiÊ¿a, his daughter FÄá¹imah, her husband Ê¿AlÄ«, and their descendants.

covenant, testament, or document of appointment.

see protected peoples

(fl. late 2nd/8th c.), mentioned as narrator of oration Â§â¯1.231, likely from the generation after JaÊ¿far al-á¹¢Ädiq (d.Â 148/765) or the next one, among the leaders and narrators of the ShiÊ¿a. (See further: á¸¤ 13:18; BÂ 680.)

(d.Â 72/691), chieftain of the TamÄ«m tribe and resident of Basra, who had a reputation for sagacity and was instrumental in persuading his tribe to accept Islam. Aá¸¥naf sat out the Battle of the Camel but fought on Ê¿AlÄ«âs side at á¹¢iffÄ«n. He later allied with the Umayyads to fight against the Kharijites and ShiÊ¿ites. (See further: BÂ 470; Gh 2:253.)

() city in the Khuzistan province of southwestern Iran on the Dujayl River, conquered by the Muslims in 17/638.

see Confederates

(d.Â 58/678), daughter of the first caliph, AbÅ« Bakr, and one of Muá¸¥ammadâs wives. She, with á¹¬alá¸¥ah and Zubayr, led an army against Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of the Camel.

(n.d.), who features in oration Â§â¯1.207, is an otherwise unknown individual not mentioned in the sources. Ibn AbÄ« al-á¸¤adÄ«d (á¸¤ 11:37) states that the man was actually named al-RabÄ«Ê¿ ibn ZiyÄd al-á¸¤ÄrithÄ« and that the name Ê¿AlÄÊ¾ is an error in Raá¸Ä«âs transcription.

(r. 35â40/656â661), Muá¸¥ammadâs cousin and ward, who married his daughter FÄá¹imah. Ê¿AlÄ« is the first ShiÊ¿i Imam and the fourth Sunni caliph. (See details of Ê¿AlÄ«âs biography in Introduction.)

(d.Â 95/713), ShiÊ¿i Imam following his father, martyr of Karbala, al-á¸¤usayn ibn Ê¿AlÄ«. Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n was present with á¸¤usayn at the Battle of Karbala but fell ill and did not take part in the fighting. He later composed a set of supplications, famously known as al-á¹¢aá¸¥Ä«fah al-SajjÄdiyyah.

(d.Â 270/883), Chief of the Zanj, who led a fifteen-year rebellion of East African slaves, from 255/869 to 270/883, against the Abbasids, which ravaged southern Iraq.

() also translated as Helpers, the people of Medina from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj who supported Muá¸¥ammad when he migrated there from Mecca.

() ancient pre-Islamic people, reportedly among the first speakers of Arabic and residents of Mecca. (See further: á¸¤ 10:93â94; BÂ 588; RÂ 2:190; FÂ 304.)

see Commander of the Faithful

(d.Â 37/657), eminent Companion of the Prophet and staunch supporter of Ê¿AlÄ« who was killed in the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. Muá¸¥ammad had prophesied that Ê¿AmmÄr would be killed by the âtreacherous party,â and the ShiÊ¿a see his death at á¹¢iffÄ«n as proof of MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs iniquity. (See further: á¸¤ 10:102â107; BÂ 590.)

(d.Â 5/626), of the Ê¿Ämir ibn LuÊ¾ayy tribe, famous pagan warrior whom Ê¿AlÄ« slew in single combat at the Battle of the Confederates. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

(fl. 1st/7th c.), MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs brother, from the Umayyad clan of Quraysh, taken captive at the Battle of Badr by Ê¿AlÄ«.

(d.Â 43/664), MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs chief advisor at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, proverbial for his cunning. Earlier commander of the Muslim armies that conquered Egypt during the reign of Ê¿Umar, Ê¿Amr was dismissed by Ê¿Umar for corruption, but was later governor there for the Umayyads. Before he accepted Islam, Ê¿Amr had been one of Muá¸¥ammadâs fiercest enemies. (See further: á¸¤ 6:281â326.)

(d.Â ca.Â 50/670), Companion of Muá¸¥ammad and a supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«. He commanded a battalion in Ê¿AlÄ«âs army at the battles of the Camel and á¹¢iffÄ«n.

(d.Â 85/704), resident of Kufa, poet, and a leader of the HamdÄn tribe who participated in the Muslim conquest of Persia. Ê¿Amr was Ê¿AlÄ«âs staunch follower, who fought in all his battles and served as his governor in Isfahan. He was also a follower of Ê¿AlÄ«âs son á¸¤asan.

(sing. ) garrison cities in the early Islamic period. In Ê¿AlÄ«âs time, the major garrison cities were Kufa and Basra in Iraq, and Fusá¹Äá¹ in Egypt. Initially set up to serve the early conquests, by his time they had become permanent and important settled towns in the region. Other towns in Iran and Central Asia are also identified in Ê¿AlÄ«âs time as housing permanent garrisons, and as such may be included under this appellation.

(d.Â 93/712), resident of Medina, Muá¸¥ammadâs servant from the age of ten, and prolific narrator of hadith, although ShiÊ¿a sources accuse him of widespread forgery. Anas was among the handful of prominent Companions who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ« and sat out his battles, and who also refused when Ê¿AlÄ« entreated all those who had heard Muá¸¥ammadâs words about him at GhadÄ«r Khumm to testify to what they had heard.

() pre-Sasanian town on the Euphrates, in western Iraq, conquered by the Muslims in 12/634, whose ruins are situated 5 kilometers northwest of present-day Falluja. Lying on a cultivable plain near the first navigable canal between the two great rivers, Anbar controlled an important crossing in early Islamic times. It was also strategically important as the head of the irrigation system of arable lands in Iraq.

see DajjÄl

(d.Â ca.Â 50/670), Ê¿AlÄ«âs brother, who was vocal in his support for him but for a brief period accepted funds from MuÊ¿Äwiyah. He later rejected MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs sponsorship and returned to Medina. (See further: á¸¤ 11:250â254.)

() Arabia to the ancients, land mass that projects southwards from the main body of the Middle East, surrounded on three sides by sea. Important to Muslims as the birthplace of Islam and its Prophet Muá¸¥ammad and site of the Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina, Arabia was the seat of the Muslim empire for a brief two decades after Muá¸¥ammad.

() post-á¹¢iffÄ«n adjudication at DÅ«mat al-Jandal in Ramaá¸Än 37/February 658, with AbÅ« MÅ«sÄ al-AshÊ¿arÄ« and Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£ representing Ê¿AlÄ« and MuÊ¿Äwiyah respectively. The arbitration ended with AbÅ« MÅ«sÄ ruling against his master, Ê¿AlÄ«, and Ê¿Amr ruling for his master, MuÊ¿Äwiyah. Ê¿AlÄ« rejected the outcome of the arbitration, declaring it contrary to the QurÊ¾an.

city in the Fars province of Iran, near Shiraz, surrounded by fertile countryside, built by the Persian emperor ArdashÄ«r (r. 226â240â¯AD) at the site of the ancient Achaemenid city of GÅ«r. Conquered by the Muslims in the early 1st/7th century, ArdashÄ«r-khurrah was renamed Firuzabad in the 4th/10th century. The site of the ancient city is located three kilometers east of the new city also named Firuzabad.

caravan stop near á¹¬ÄÊ¾if, between Mecca and Medina (See further: á¸¤ 13:303.)

tribe in northern Arabia, whose people led a mainly nomadic life in pre-Islamic times. In the Muslim wars of conquest, the Asad served in Iraq and Persia. Most settled in Kufa, where they evolved from warriors to men of learning, including many who handed down the ShiÊ¿a tradition. Smaller groups were incorporated into the Syrian army and settled near Aleppo.

(d.Â ca.Â 7/629), pre-Islamic poet, one of the composers of the famous set of long poems known as the Hanging Odes.

(d. early 2nd/7th c.), a close companion of Ê¿AlÄ« and a prolific transmitter of his words, including the famous testament to MÄlik al-Ashtar. An account of the killing of á¸¤usayn at Karbala is also attributed to him. He belonged to the tribe of TamÄ«m, was a resident of Kufa, and fought alongside Ê¿AlÄ« at á¹¢iffÄ«n.

(d.Â 40/661), Kufan noble of the Kindah tribe who revolted at Muá¸¥ammadâs death. He later repented and fought for the Muslims at the Battle of YarmÅ«k, and he served as governor of Azerbaijan during Ê¿AlÄ«âs reign. Despite fighting on Ê¿AlÄ«âs side at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, AshÊ¿ath was instrumental in forcing Ê¿AlÄ« to accept arbitration and to appoint AbÅ« MÅ«sÄ as arbiter.

(d. after 36/656), Basran ascetic, brother of Ê¿AlÄ«âs supporter Ê¿AlÄÊ¾ or RabÄ«Ê¿.

see á¸¤assÄn ibn á¸¤assÄn al-BakrÄ« al-BalawÄ«

see MÄlik ibn al-á¸¤Ärith al-Ashtar

() see Camel

(or al-Aswad ibn Quá¹nah, or al-Aswad ibn Zayd ibn Quá¹bah; fl. 1st/6th c.), commander of the á¸¤ulwÄn garrison during Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate, named in Â§â¯2.59 (see note there re the confusion about his genealogy).

lit. wellspring of dates, so called because of its abundant palms, a small town in Iraq west of the Euphrates, on the frontier between Syria and Iraq. In early Islamic times, Ê¿Ayn al-Tamr commanded the military approaches from the western desert to Kufa; it was attacked by MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs commander al-NuÊ¿mÄn ibn BashÄ«r al-Aná¹£ÄrÄ« in 39/659. Today the town is called ShithÄthah and lies 128 kilometers west of Karbala.

() Sasanian town in northwest Iran conquered by the Muslims in 22/643 under the command of á¸¤udhayfah ibn al-YamÄn, an early Companion of Muá¸¥ammad and close associate of Ê¿AlÄ«. Al-AshÊ¿ath ibn Qays was governor of Azerbaijan during the caliphates of Ê¿UthmÄn and Ê¿AlÄ«.

site of the first pitched battle between the Muslims and the Meccans, in 2/624, the year after Muá¸¥ammadâs migration to Medina. Badr is located 160 kilometers southwest of Medina and 50 kilometers inland from the Red Sea.

() archipelago in the Persian/Arabian Gulf consisting of 33 islands offshore from present-day eastern Saudi Arabia, site of the ancient town of Tylos. Emperor ArdashÄ«r conquered it in the first half of the third centuryÂ AD, and Sasanian control lasted until ca.Â 6/628, when the population voluntarily converted to Islam. Also used in the sources to describe the eastern seaboard of the Arabian Peninsula.

(d.Â 679/1280), early Twelver ShiÊ¿i commentator of Nahj al-BalÄghah, philosopher and theologian active in Bahrain, famous for his commentaries on the works of Avicenna.

() capital of the Abbasid caliphate from its founding in 145/762 until the fall of the dynasty in 656/1258, with a small interregnum when the capital was in adjacent SÄmarrÄÊ¾. Located at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Baghdad was a major hub for political and intellectual activity. Raá¸Ä«, compiler of the present volume, lived his entire life in this city.

() garrison city founded in 17/638, during the Islamic conquests of southern Iraq, located near the Shaá¹á¹ al-Ê¿Arab, the river formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. The Battle of the Camel was fought just outside Basra early in Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate.

() see Mecca

see Badr

see Camel

see Confederates

see á¸¤unayn

see Khaybar

see MuÊ¾tah

see NahÄwand

see NahrawÄn

see QÄdisiyyah

see á¹¢iffÄ«n

see Uá¸¥ud

see Ibn Funduq al-BayhaqÄ«

() pastoral nomads or semi-nomads of the Arabian Peninsula.

see QurÊ¾an

(d. after 575â¯AD), pre-Islamic poet of the Asad ibn Khuzaymah tribe, predecessor of the Umayyad poet Farazdaq. Bishrâs poems were collected by the anthologists Aá¹£maÊ¿Ä« and Ibn al-SikkÄ«t, and the philologist AbÅ« Ê¿Ubaydah wrote a commentary.

(d.Â 74/693), son of the Umayyad caliph MarwÄn I and half-brother of the Umayyad caliph Ê¿Abd al-Malik, under whom he served as governor of Iraq.

(d.Â 40/661), sometimes called á¸¤ajjÄj, from the á¹¢uraym clan of TamÄ«m, first to utter the Kharijite slogan, â¨No rule save Godâs!â© (lÄ á¸¥ukma illÄ li-llÄh). Burak was one of three Kharijites who conspired to assassinate Ê¿AlÄ«, MuÊ¿Äwiyah, and Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£ in the same night. He undertook to kill MuÊ¿Äwiyah but was captured and executed.

(fl. 1st/7th c.), identified by Raá¸Ä« as a Kharijite who called out in Ê¿AlÄ«âs hearing their slogan, â¨No rule save Godâs!â© (Â§â¯1.182). The commentators identify him with the drunkard pagan poet b. 595â¯AD who migrated to Syria and converted to Christianity (See further: á¸¤ 10:130; BÂ 597).

(d.Â 70/689), of the Ê¿Ämir ibn LuÊ¾ayy tribe, one of MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs particularly brutal commanders, who fought with him at á¹¢iffÄ«n. Earlier, Busr took part in the Muslim conquest of Syria and probably of Egypt under Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£. MuÊ¿Äwiyah sent Busr in 37/658 to attack Medina, Mecca, and Yemen, where he killed or forced out Ê¿AlÄ«âs commanders and terrorized the locals. (See further: á¸¤ 1:340.)

() refers to the eastern half of the Roman empire, with its capital in Constantinople, which survived for a thousand years after the western Roman empire crumbled. Constantinople was conquered in 1453â¯AD by the Ottoman Turks, who named it Istanbul.

() two sons of the Prophet Adam.

() name of a battle fought outside Basra in JumÄdÄ IIÂ 36/ NovemberâDecember 656 between the Caliph Ê¿AlÄ« on one side, and Muá¸¥ammadâs widow Ê¿ÄÊ¾ishah bint AbÄ« Bakr and two Quraysh Emigrants, á¹¬alá¸¥ah ibn Ê¿UbaydallÄh and al-Zubayr ibn al-Ê¿AwwÄm, on the other. The battle is named for the camel that Ê¿ÄÊ¾ishah rode onto the battlefield and is a metaphor for the rider herself. The rebel leaders and their Basran supporters are referred to in the sources as âassociates of the Camelâ (aá¹£á¸¥Äb al-Jamal).

() bitter desert plant used for medicinal purposes. Swallowing or peeling colocynth was a metaphor in early Arabic for bitter grief.

() caliphal title in Islam, according to the ShiÊ¿a associated primarily with Ê¿AlÄ«. The title was also used by the caliph-imams of the Fatimid dynasty.

() individuals who had sustained personal contact with Muá¸¥ammad and are revered for their sincere service to Islam in its nascent stage. Key figures in the early history of Islam, Muá¸¥ammadâs Companions are also the first transmitters of his statements and deeds.

() name of a battle in 5/627 fought by the Meccan Quraysh, joined by several other tribes, to form a force of 10,000 men with 600 cavalry against the Muslims. Muá¸¥ammad foiled their attempt to storm Medina by digging a protective trench, and the battle is also known as the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq). Unable to enter, the confederates besieged Medina, but their confederacy broke up after a fortnight, and the siege was abandoned. Its failure strengthened Muá¸¥ammadâs position. Ê¿AlÄ« played a major role by slaying the enemy champion Ê¿Amr ibn Ê¿Abd Wadd in single combat.

see protected peoples

(d.Â 64/684), MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs commander, active at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n and in its aftermath. (See further: á¸¤ 2:113â117; BÂ 225).

the Antichrist. According to Islamic tradition, he is an evil man who will appear at the end of time, signaling the approach of judgment day.

() largest city in Syria, earlier under Byzantine rule, conquered by the Muslims in 14/635. MuÊ¿Äwiyah was governor of Damascus during the reigns of Ê¿Umar and Ê¿UthmÄn, and after Ê¿UthmÄnâs death he fought Ê¿AlÄ«. After Ê¿AlÄ«âs death in 40/661, MuÊ¿Äwiyah became caliph and Damascus remained the Umayyad seat of government of the Muslim empire until the Abbasids defeated them in 132/750 and set up their capital in Baghdad.

attributive of DÄrÄ«n, an island near Qaá¹Ä«f, on the east coast of present-day Saudi Arabia. In pre-Islamic and early Islamic times, DÄrÄ«n was the main port of Bahrain, through which musk was imported from India, which is why DÄrÄ« musk is famous. (See further: BÂ 549; á¸¤ 9:268.)

() (fl. 10th c. BC), the biblical King David, a prophet in the Islamic tradition, mentioned in the QurÊ¾an as someone granted prophecy, kingship, wisdom, and justice, as well as being the recipient of the Psalms. Muá¸¥ammadâs hadith and Ê¿AlÄ«âs orations emphasize Davidâs fervent prayer and fasting.

(fl. 1st/7th c.), an individual who is said to have memorized and narrated Ê¿AlÄ«âs words to AbÅ« Dharr al-GhifÄrÄ« (Â§â¯1.128). There is some confusion about his identity: Ibn AbÄ« al-á¸¤adÄ«d identifies him as a freedman of Ê¿AlÄ«âs sister Umm HÄnÄ« bint AbÄ« á¹¬Älib (á¸¤ 8:253). More often, the sources name Umm HÄnÄ«âs freedman as BÄdhÄm (full name: AbÅ« á¹¢Äliá¸¥ BÄdhÄm), adding that he narrated hadith. Elsewhere, they speak of a freedman of Muá¸¥ammadâs wife Juwayriyah, named DhakwÄn (full name: AbÅ« á¹¢Äliá¸¥ al-SammÄn DhakwÄn ibn Ê¿AbdallÄh), who likewise narrated hadith. Yet elsewhere, they speak of another DhakwÄn, freedman of the HÄshim clan or of al-á¸¤usayn ibn Ê¿AlÄ«.

(fl. 1st/7th c.), individual from Yemen who asked Ê¿AlÄ« to describe God (Â§â¯1.177), identified by the sources as among the leaders and narrators of the ShiÊ¿a. (See further: á¸¤ 13:18; BÂ 680.)

caravan stop east of Kufa in the direction of WÄsiá¹, where Ê¿AlÄ« camped enroute to Basra, where he fought the Battle of the Camel. DhÅ« QÄr was also the site of a major early 7th-centuryÂ AD battle between the Arabs and the Sasanian Persians. (See further: á¸¤ 2:187â188.)

(d.Â 117/735), important Bedouin poet of the Umayyad era.

() see Khuzaymah ibn al-ThÄbit

() (d.Â 38/658), Kharijite killed at NahrawÄn, called thus because of a lump of flesh on his shoulder. Some sources identify DhÅ« al-Thudayyah as á¸¤urqÅ«á¹£ ibn Zuhayr al-SaÊ¿dÄ«, a leader of the BajÄ«lah tribe, who was killed fighting Ê¿AlÄ« at NahrawÄn. á¸¤urqÅ«á¹£ is in turn identified as Ê¿Amr DhÅ« al-Khuwayá¹£irah al-TamÄ«mÄ«, who was insolent to Muá¸¥ammad regarding the distribution of war spoils. (See further: á¸¤ 13:183â184; BÂ 771â772; FÂ 364â365.)

(d. after 40/661), of the clan of Fihr from the Quraysh tribe, a loyal associate of Ê¿AlÄ«, reported in several early sources to have spoken eloquently of his late masterâs virtues at the court of Ê¿AlÄ«âs archenemy, MuÊ¿Äwiyah. (See further: á¸¤ 18:225â226, RÂ 3:294â295).

supplication.

(d.Â 8/630), of the HawÄzin tribe, famous poet and warrior who lived mostly in the pre-Islamic period. Durayd was reportedly killed at the age of one hundred, fighting against Muá¸¥ammad in the Battle of á¸¤unayn.

site of the post-á¹¢iffÄ«n arbitration in 37/658, with AbÅ« MÅ«sÄ al-AshÊ¿arÄ« and Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£ representing Ê¿AlÄ« and MuÊ¿Äwiyah respectively. It was an oasis on the route between Medina and Damascus in early Islamic times, and part of Syria. It is located today in the Jawf province of Saudi Arabia, southwest of the provincial capital, SakÄkah.

() refers in the early Islamic period both to the province and to its capital city, Fusá¹Äá¹. Egypt was conquered by the Muslims in 22/643, under the command of Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£. At the onset of Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate, in 35/656, the province pledged allegiance to him, but following the arbitration in 37/658, Ê¿Amr, now MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs chief advisor and governor-designate, killed Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor, Muá¸¥ammad ibn AbÄ« Bakr, and took over Egypt.

() those who migrated with Muá¸¥ammad from Mecca to Medina, and those who migrated from elsewhere to be with him. Along with the Allies, they are revered by later Muslims for their sincere service to Islam in its difficult early years and are considered among Muá¸¥ammadâs closest Companions.

() together with the Tigris, one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia. Originating in Turkey, it flows through Syria and Iraq to join the Tigris and empties into the Arabian/Persian Gulf. The major cities of early Islamic IraqâKufa, Basra, and later Baghdadâwere all built along or near the Euphrates.

village near Khaybar, with abundant dates and grain, a three-day journey from Medina in early Islamic times. After Muá¸¥ammadâs death, his daughter FÄá¹imah claimed ownership of Fadak as her inherited right, a right denied her by AbÅ« Bakr. The Umayyad caliph Ê¿UmarÂ II (r. 99â101/717â720) returned Fadak to FÄá¹imahâs heirs.

() appellation applied to the Kharijites. (See further: á¸¤ 13:183â184; BÂ 771â772; FÂ 364â365.)

see Ahl al-bayt

(d.Â 114/732), Umayyad-era poet who composed eulogies for the Umayyad caliphs, also famous for a lengthy poem in praise of the ShiÊ¿i Imam Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n. When Farazdaq was young, his father reportedly brought him to Iraq to visit Ê¿AlÄ«.

() Arabicized form of PÄrs, English Persia, province in southwestern Iran, with Shiraz as its main city. Earlier center of the Achaemenid and Sasanian dynasties, the Muslims conquered Fars in 28/648, and it became a major province of the Islamic empire.

(d.Â 11/632), Ê¿AlÄ«âs wife and Muá¸¥ammadâs youngest daughter, about whom he said, â¨May my life be ransom for yours, FÄá¹imah, you are the queen of the women of paradise.â© She died young, just two months after her father. FÄá¹imah had four children with Ê¿AlÄ«: á¸¤asan, á¸¤usayn, Zaynab, and Umm KulthÅ«m, all of whom played key roles in the political and religious life of early Islam.

() one-fifth share mandated by the QurÊ¾an of the spoils of war and other specified forms of income, set aside for the Prophet and other designated beneficiaries (QurÊ¾an, AnfÄl 8:41).

tribe descended from KinÄnah and Muá¸ar, residing in the area north of Mecca in WÄdÄ« QadÄ«d, famous for its membersâ courage and loyalty. (See further: RÂ 1:203; BÂ 211.)

() or Successors, appellation applied to the second generation of Muslims, directly following Muá¸¥ammadâs Companions.

() derogatory term referring to those members of the Quraysh, including MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs father, AbÅ« SufyÄn, who remained Muá¸¥ammadâs committed enemies until forced to capitulate upon his conquest of Mecca. On that day, instead of forcing them into captivity as per the standard practice, Muá¸¥ammad pardoned them, saying, âYou are freedmen.â

originally a military encampment on the Nile alongside the Byzantine fortress of Babylon, built in the wake of the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 22/643, and thence capital of the province of Egypt. It was replaced in 358/969 as the capital by the conquering Fatimidsâ newly built city of Cairo.

() archangel in Islamic tradition, who served as Godâs messenger in bringing revelation to the prophets, including Muá¸¥ammad.

() oasis located 5 kilometers from Juá¸¥fah, on the caravan route between Mecca and Medina, where Muá¸¥ammad delivered an important oration to a large gathering of Muslims following his farewell pilgrimage, and declared, âFor whomsoever I am MawlÄ, Ê¿AlÄ« is henceforth his MawlÄ.â The ShiÊ¿a interpret the word MawlÄ here to mean âmasterâ and deem it proof of Muá¸¥ammadâs designation of Ê¿AlÄ« as his successor. Sunnis interpret the word to mean âkinsman,â and state that the Prophet said what he said to protect Ê¿AlÄ« from those who wished him harm, but the words did not signify an appointment of succession. GhadÄ«r Khumm is also used to denote the day and the event.

(d.Â ca.Â 40/666), TamÄ«mÄ« chieftain famed for his generosity, father of the renowned Umayyad-era poet Farazdaq. A contemporary of Muá¸¥ammad, GhÄlib is also said to have visited Ê¿AlÄ« in Iraq and introduced Farazdaq to him; Ê¿AlÄ« advised GhÄlib to teach his son the QurÊ¾an. (See further: á¸¤ 19:96; RÂ 3:441â442.)

see SufyÄn ibn Ê¿Awf al-GhÄmidÄ«

rare words in Muá¸¥ammadâs hadith, Ê¿AlÄ«âs sayings, and elsewhere in the Arabic literary corpus, that medieval critics deemed in need of explication. A section of 9 wisdom sayings in the present volume contains gharÄ«b words.

() calf-shaped idol worshipped by the Israelites under the direction of the Samaritan (Ar. SÄmirÄ«), while Moses was on the mountain communing with God.

place in northern Syria where Ê¿AlÄ« reportedly wrote a testament for his son á¸¤asan on the way back from á¹¢iffÄ«n. á¸¤Äá¸irÄ«n does not appear to be mentioned anywhere in the sources; perhaps it is a mistranscription for some form of á¸¥Äá¸ir, meaning urban space or town. (See further: á¸¤ 16:52.)

() often translated as Traditions, these are reports of Muá¸¥ammadâs words, deeds, and gestures. The hadith hold a special position of authority and guidance for Muslims, complementing the QurÊ¾an.

town near Bahrain proverbial for its dates. (See further: á¸¤ 15:188; BÂ 819; FÂ 372.)

() pilgrimage to the KaÊ¿bah in Mecca mandated once in a lifetime for every Muslim, combining rituals performed by Abraham and Muá¸¥ammad. The hajj is performed in the month named for it, DhÅ« al-á¸¤ijjah, the final month in the Islamic lunar calendar.

(d.Â 95/714), Umayyad governor of Iraq famed for his eloquence and notorious for his harsh rule.

(d.Â 35/656), early Muslim, contemporary of Muá¸¥ammad, known for his piety and valor. á¸¤akÄ«m was killed combating the forces of á¹¬alá¸¥ah and Zubayr, who were attempting to remove Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in Basra in the lead-up to the Battle of the Camel. (See further: á¸¤ 9:110.)

(d. late 6th c. AD), pre-Islamic warrior from the clan of FazÄrah of the DhubyÄn tribe, who was killed in the Battle of DÄá¸¥is, a decades-long conflict between the tribes of DhubyÄn and Ê¿Abs, during the latter half of the 6th centuryÂ AD. (See further: FÂ 374; RÂ 3:82; BÂ 824.)

(fl. 6th c. AD), pre-Islamic warrior from the clan of SaÊ¿d al-Ê¿AshÄ«rah of the Madhá¸¥ij tribe.

(d.Â ca.Â 36/656), devout associate of Ê¿AlÄ« who reportedly passed away upon hearing Ê¿AlÄ«âs oration describing the truly pious, named after him as The Oration to HammÄm (Â§â¯1.191). Some commentators give his full name as HammÄm ibn Shurayá¸¥ ibn YazÄ«d, while others identify him as HammÄm ibn Ê¿UbÄdah ibn Khuthaym. (See further: á¸¤ 10:134; BÂ 599.)

(d.Â 3/624), known as King of Martyrs and Godâs Lion, paternal uncle of Muá¸¥ammad and Ê¿AlÄ«, who fought valiantly at the Battle of Badr and killed several Meccan warriors in single combat. He was slain by treachery the following year at the Battle of Uá¸¥ud by a man who was incited by MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs mother, Hind. Muá¸¥ammad grieved deeply for á¸¤amzah and recited the funeral prayer for him 70 times, placing á¸¤amzahâs bier in front of the bier of each martyr as he prayed for them one by one.

(d.Â 2/624), MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs brother from the Umayyah clan of Quraysh, killed by Ê¿AlÄ« in the fighting against Muá¸¥ammad at the Battle of Badr. (See further: BÂ 792; RÂ 3:31; FÂ 369.)

(d. after 37/657), chieftain of the clan of ShibÄm from the Yemeni tribe of HamdÄn, who settled in Kufa. á¸¤arb was a follower of Ê¿AlÄ« and fought with him at á¹¢iffÄ«n.

(d.Â ca.Â 607â¯AD), MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs grandfather, from the clan of Umayyah of Quraysh, father of Abu SufyÄn and father-in-law of AbÅ« Lahab, both fierce enemies of Muá¸¥ammad. á¸¤arb was one of the leading chieftains of Mecca in his day.

(d.Â 65/685), resident of Kufa and a learned man, staunch supporter of Ê¿AlÄ« who participated in his battles. á¸¤Ärith belonged to the á¸¤Å«th clan of the HamdÄn tribe of Yemen, and his full name is al-á¸¤Ärith ibn Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn KaÊ¿b al-HamdÄnÄ«. A famous set of verses addressing him by name is attributed to Ê¿AlÄ«. He appears in several reports in the present volume. (See further: á¸¤ 17:42â43.)

(or Khuá¹, or less likely á¸¤awt or á¸¤Å«t) (d. after 36/656), a man who challenged Ê¿AlÄ« after the Battle of the Camel over the rightfulness of fighting Ê¿ÄÊ¾ishah, á¹¬alá¸¥ah, and Zubayr. Nothing else is found in the sources about á¸¤Ärith, except discussions regarding the spelling of his fatherâs name, an additional indication that he was not well known.

see NÄbighah

() twelve thousand men who gathered in á¸¤arÅ«rÄÊ¾ near Kufa in 37/657 to protest Ê¿AlÄ«âs decision to accept arbitration in his dispute with MuÊ¿Äwiyah over the caliphate. The á¸¤arÅ«riyyah are considered the first Kharijites. (See further: BÂ 958.).

(d.Â 49/669), eldest son of Ê¿AlÄ« and FÄá¹imah, grandson of Muá¸¥ammad, and ShiÊ¿a Imam after his father. The Prophet said, â¨á¸¤asan and á¸¤usayn are the leaders of the youth of paradise.â© After Ê¿AlÄ«âs death in 40/661, á¸¤asan received the pledge of the caliphate in Kufa. He abdicated six months later and returned to Medina, where he was reportedly poisoned on MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs orders ten years later. (See further: á¸¤ 16:9â52.)

Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs clan within Quraysh, named after their great-grandfather, HÄshim ibn Ê¿Abd ManÄf.

(d.Â ca.Â 497â¯AD), Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs paternal great-grandfather and custodian of the sanctuary in Mecca. HÄshim used to travel to Syria to trade and he married and set up a second home in Gaza. He died and is buried there in a shrine within the mosque complex named for him.

(d.Â 37/656), tribal chieftain of Kufa, nephew of Muá¸¥ammadâs Companion SaÊ¿d ibn AbÄ« WaqqÄá¹£, and one of Ê¿AlÄ«âs staunch supporters. HÄshim was killed at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 6:55â56.)

(d.Â 38/658), Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in Anbar, who was killed by a cavalry troop led by MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs commander, SufyÄn ibn Ê¿Awf al-GhÄmidÄ«. (See further: RÂ 1:214â215; BÂ 215â216; á¸¤ 2:75â76, 85â90.)

(d.Â ca.Â 40/659 or 50/669 or 54/673), of the Khazraj tribe of Medina, the best-known of several poets associated with the rise of Islam. á¸¤assÄn was among the handful of prominent Companions who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ«.

(fl. second half of 6th centuryÂ AD), pre-Islamic poet of the tribe of á¹¬ayy, proverbial for his generosity.

north Arabian tribal federation, including the tribes of ThaqÄ«f and SaÊ¿d ibn Bakr, who fought the Muslims at the Battle of á¸¤unayn in 8/630.

western part of the Arabian Peninsula, where the cities of Mecca and Medina are located. The province runs along the Red Sea coast and is bordered to the east by the SarÄt Mountains.

() Muá¸¥ammadâs migration from Mecca to Medina in 622â¯AD. The Islamic calendar begins from this year, which is considered the first âHijriâ year.

wisdom, or wisdom saying, or aphorism.

mountain located northeast of Mecca, where Muá¸¥ammad is said to have spent a month every year immersed in Godâs worship. It is here that he is said to have received his first QurÊ¾anic revelation.

(r. 105â125/724â743), Umayyad caliph.

(d.Â 206/821), famous Kufan genealogist and scholar, whose grandfather SÄÊ¾ib fought with Ê¿AlÄ« in the Battles of the Camel and á¹¢iffÄ«n. Ibn al-KalbÄ« is also the compiler of a lost book titled Khuá¹ab Ê¿AlÄ« (Orations of Ê¿AlÄ«). (See further: á¸¤ 18:66.)

town in northern Iraq on the Euphrates River toward Syria, site of a raid by MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs commander, SufyÄn ibn Ê¿Awf al-GhÄmidÄ«, in 39/659. (See further FÂ 392; R:219.)

see KaÊ¿bah

() village just outside Mecca, site of a peace treaty concluded in 6/628 between Muá¸¥ammad and the Quraysh.

(d.Â 52/672), Kufan chieftain of the Kindah tribe of Yemen, staunch supporter of Ê¿AlÄ« who fought with him at the Battle of the Camel and at á¹¢iffÄ«n. During MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs caliphate, á¸¤ujr challenged the Umayyadsâ cursing of Ê¿AlÄ«, and he, along with several other ShiÊ¿is, was tortured and beheaded by MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs governor ZiyÄd.

ancient town situated near the entrance to the Paytak pass through the Zagros range, identified with the present-day village of Sar-i Pul, 33 kilometers east of Qaá¹£r-i ShÄ«rÄ«n, in the Kermanshah province of Iran. á¸¤ulwÄn was a town of note in early Islamic times, and a garrison was stationed there during Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate.

site of the Battle of á¸¤unayn, fought between the Muslims and the HawÄzin tribal confederation in 8/630, following the conquest of Mecca, which ended in a decisive victory for the Muslims. á¸¤unayn is a deep valley situated a dayâs journey from Mecca on the road to á¹¬ÄÊ¾if.

() Kharijite leader who fled from Iraq to Ramhormoz, against whom Ê¿AlÄ« sent a battalion under MaÊ¿qil ibn Qays in 38/658. (See further: FÂ 369â370.)

(d.Â 61/680), second son of Ê¿AlÄ« and FÄá¹imah, grandson of Muá¸¥ammad, and ShiÊ¿a Imam after his older brother, á¸¤asan. Muá¸¥ammad said, â¨á¸¤asan and á¸¤usayn are the leaders of the youth of paradise.â© á¸¤usayn was killed by the Umayyads with his family and a handful of supporters at Karbala and is famous in ShiÊ¿i lore as King of Martyrs (sayyid al-shuhadÄÊ¾).

() (d.Â ca.Â 100/718), notable and poet of Basra, among the leading members of the second generation of Muslims, a follower of Ê¿AlÄ«, who carried the banner of RabÄ«Ê¿ah at á¹¢iffÄ«n. Later one of the associates of JaÊ¿far al-á¹¢Ädiq.

(Eng. Lucifer), archdevil condemned in the QurÊ¾an. Originally a jinni or angel, he refused to bow down before Adam when God commanded him and was expelled from heaven for his disobedience. He vowed to lead the sons of Adam astray in every age.

see Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn al-Ê¿AbbÄs

(d.Â ca.Â 656/1258), Sunni-MuÊ¿tazilÄ« theologian, âtafá¸Ä«lÄ«â (one who gave precedence to Ê¿AlÄ« over the three earlier Sunni caliphs), and a poet, historian, and literary theorist, best known for his twenty-volume commentary on Nahj al-BalÄghah. An official in the Abbasid state, he held various administrative posts in the capital, Baghdad, just before the Mongol sack.

see Ê¿UbaydallÄh ibn AbÄ« RÄfiÊ¿

(d.Â 231/846), prominent philologist of the Kufan school.

(d.Â 565/1170), early Sunni commentator of Nahj al-BalÄghah from Khurasan, who relied on the lost, possibly the first, Nahj al-BalÄghah commentary, by Aá¸¥mad ibn Muá¸¥ammad al-WabrÄ« (fl. early 6th/12th c.), from KhwÄrazm. Ibn Funduq is the author of more than 70 works in Arabic and Persian on history and an encyclopedic range of subjects.

see Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn al-á¸¤aá¸ramÄ«

see Muá¸¥ammad ibn Ê¿AlÄ« ibn AbÄ« á¹¬Älib

see Ê¿UthmÄn ibn á¸¤unayf al-Aná¹£ÄrÄ«

(d. after 44/664), whose given name was Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn Awfah al-YashkurÄ«, a Kharijite leader who fought against Ê¿AlÄ« at NahrawÄn and escaped. He visited MuÊ¿Äwiyah in 44/664.

(d.Â 37/657), early convert to Islam from the Medinan tribe of Aws and one of the Allies who fought for Muá¸¥ammad in the earliest battles of Badr and Uá¸¥ud. Ibn al-TayyihÄn was killed fighting for Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 10:107â108; BÂ 590â591.)

see Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn MasÊ¿Å«d

() (d.Â 40/661), of the Kindah tribe of Yemen, the Kharijite who assassinated Ê¿AlÄ«. He was executed by Ê¿AlÄ«âs son and successor, á¸¤asan.

(d.Â 374/985), famous Aleppan preacher who memorized a large number of Ê¿AlÄ«âs orations and drew on them for his own.

(d.Â 244/858), scholar of Arabic lexicography, poetry, and grammar, author of about twenty books.

see Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn Ê¿Umar

see Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn al-Zubayr

Eid of Sacrifice, major feast day following the hajj, on 10th DhÅ« al-á¸¤ijjah.

Eid of Breaking-the-Fast, major feast day following the fasting month of Ramaá¸Än, on 1st ShawwÄl.

(d.Â 13/634 or 15/636), from the MakhzÅ«m clan, son of Muá¸¥ammadâs fierce enemy and a leader of the Quraysh in their battles against Muá¸¥ammad. Ê¿Ikrimah fled to Yemen near the time of the Muslim conquest of Mecca in 10/632 but was later pardoned. AbÅ« Bakr appointed him to command Muslim expeditions in Yemen and Syria; he was likely killed fighting the Byzantines in the Battle of AjnÄdayn in Palestine in 13/634. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

() lit. leader, refers either to the supreme leader of the Muslim community or to an exemplary scholar or prayer-leader. In Shia doctrine, the term denotes the Prophet Muá¸¥ammad, his legatee, Ê¿AlÄ«, and their descendants, one in each age, who inherit their role of spiritual and temporal leadership, who are divinely guided and sole legitimate leaders of the Muslim community. The concept is rendered as Imamate (Ar. imÄmah).

(d.Â 52/672), converted to Islam in 7/628 and settled in Basra soon after the conquest of Iraq. He was among the handful of early Muslims who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ«, and he actively attempted to dissuade the Iraqis from supporting Ê¿AlÄ«. Ê¿ImrÄn fell ill soon thereafter and lived with chronic illness for nearly two decades until his death. (See further: á¸¤ 17:132.)

(d.Â ca.Â 550â¯AD), ranked by medieval criticsâand by Ê¿AlÄ«âas the best pre-Islamic poet, one of the composers of the celebrated Hanging Odes. Princely descendant of the Kindah, ImruÊ¾ al-Qays is often called the Wandering King.

() important province in the early Islamic empire, conquered 14â17/635â638. Its major cities in Ê¿AlÄ«âs reign were Basra and Kufa, the seat of his caliphate.

() a prophet in Islam, son of the Prophet Abraham and ancestor of the Jews.

() a prophet in Islam, son of the Prophet Abraham, and ancestor of the Arabs. Muá¸¥ammad and Ê¿AlÄ« reportedly descend from his line.

(d.Â 240/854), Baghdadi MuÊ¿tazilÄ« who lived to a great age, and âtafá¸Ä«lÄ«â Sunni, who maintained Ê¿AlÄ«âs superiority to all other Companions of Muá¸¥ammad. Among IskÄfÄ«âs lost works is KitÄb al-MaqÄmÄt fÄ« tafá¸Ä«l Ê¿AlÄ« (Book of exhortations, on Ê¿AlÄ«âs superiority). (See further: á¸¤ 17:132â133; BÂ 913.)

town in the Fars district of Iran, an hourâs journey north of the ancient Achaemenid capital Persepolis, religious center of the Sasanian kingdom. The Muslims conquered it in 23/643 and it remained a fairly important place during the early centuries of Islam.

(d.Â ca.Â 78/697), early Companion and one of the Allies, resident of Medina from the tribe of Khazraj. He pledged allegiance to Muá¸¥ammad at Ê¿Aqabah before the Emigration and remained a staunch supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«, fighting in all his battles. He died in MadÄÊ¾in, near present-day Baghdad, in his nineties. JÄbir was a prolific narrator of Muá¸¥ammadâs hadith and Ê¿AlÄ«âs words.

(d. after 40/661), Ê¿AlÄ«âs nephew, son of his sister Umm HÄnÄ«, a brave warrior and a learned man. JaÊ¿dah was close to Ê¿AlÄ« and served as his governor in Khurasan. (See further: á¸¤ 10:77â78; BÂ 585; á¸¤ 13:130; BÂ 679.)

(d.Â 8/629), Ê¿AlÄ«âs older brother, commander of Muá¸¥ammadâs forces at the Battle of MuÊ¾tah, killed with his arms cut off in the battle. Muá¸¥ammad bestowed on him the epithets á¹¬ayyÄr, âHe-Who-Soars-in-Paradise,â and DhÅ« al-JanÄá¸¥ayn, âHe-of-the-Two-Wings.â He is buried in MuÊ¾tah, in the south of present-day Jordan.

(d.Â 148/765), great-grandson of the Prophetâs grandson á¸¤usayn, recognized by the IsmaÊ¿ili and Twelver ShiÊ¿a as the Imam succeeding his father, Muá¸¥ammad al-BÄqir. He spent most of his life in Medina and died there. Known as al-á¹¢Ädiq, The Truthful, he, like his father, is the source of many oral reports in ShiÊ¿i tradition. JaÊ¿far al-á¹¢Ädiq is also reported to be the teacher of two eponymous founders of Sunni legal schools, AbÅ« á¸¤anÄ«fah and MÄlik.

(d.Â 255/868), prolific author who wrote some 240 books and essays on diverse topics, of which 75 survive whole or in part. Among his most famous full-length books is the 4-volume al-BayÄn wa-l-tabyÄ«n (Eloquence and exposition), mentioned by Raá¸Ä«. He cites and praises Ê¿AlÄ«âs words frequently in his books, and a compilation of Ê¿AlÄ«âs sayings titled MiÊ¾at kalimah (One Hundred Proverbs) is also attributed to him.

(d. after 55/675), of the BajÄ«lah tribe, converted to Islam shortly before Muá¸¥ammadâs death and settled in Kufa, later becoming Ê¿UthmÄnâs governor in HamadhÄn. Dismissed by Ê¿AlÄ«, he came to Kufa and pledged allegiance, then served as Ê¿AlÄ«âs emissary to MuÊ¿Äwiyah in the lead-up to á¹¢iffÄ«n and later as his governor in HamadhÄn. According to the sources JarÄ«r remained secretly pro-Umayyad. (See further: á¸¤ 3:70â74.)

(d. before 67/686), from the tribe of TamÄ«m, was a Companion of the Prophet and staunch supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«. He died in Basra.

(d.Â 21/642), chieftain of Ê¿Abd al-Qays who came with a delegation from his tribe to Muá¸¥ammad in Medina ca.Â 9/630 and converted to Islam. JÄrÅ«d dissuaded the Ê¿Abd al-Qays from apostatizing after Muá¸¥ammadâs death. He was killed fighting with the Muslims during their conquest of Persia. (See further: á¸¤ 18:55â57.)

() a prophet in Islam. In the QurÊ¾an, he is called the Son of Mary, the Messiah (masÄ«á¸¥), the Word (kalimah), and the Spirit (rÅ«á¸¥).

righteous struggle against the forces of evil. Jihad can refer equally to battle with outside enemies or combat with oneâs own base instincts.

category of beings created from fire, non-corporeal spirits, believed to possess powers for evil and good.

() see NahrawÄn

clan of the Quraysh.

(d.Â ca.Â 570â¯AD), pre-Islamic warrior and poet cited as a source of proverbial verses. Jumayá¸¥ is sometimes said to be the sobriquet of Munqidh ibn al-á¹¬ammÄá¸¥ al-AsadÄ«.

cuboid in Mecca, the holiest sanctuary of Islam, reportedly built by the Prophet Abraham, also called The House of God (Bayt AllÄh). Muslim worshippers throughout the world face the KaÊ¿bah in their daily prayer, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims circumambulate it every year during the hajj and Ê¿umrah pilgrimages.

Arabian lineage group of the Quá¸ÄÊ¿ah tribal federation. Predominantly camel-breeding pastoralists, the Kalb comprised powerful clans in the deserts between Syria and Iraq in pre-Islamic times and later were allies of the Umayyads.

(d.Â 37/63), one of the earliest converts to Islam and an eminent Companion of Muá¸¥ammad. As a freed slave of Nabataean origin, he suffered cruel torture at the hands of the Quraysh in Mecca because of his conversion. A strong supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«, he died in Kufa soon after Ê¿AlÄ« left for á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 18:171â172; BÂ 947.)

(d.Â 619â¯AD), Muá¸¥ammadâs first wife, the first Muslim, mother of all but one (IbrÄhÄ«m, son of MÄriyah the Copt) of Muá¸¥ammadâs children: daughters FÄá¹imah, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, and Umm KulthÅ«m, and two sons, QÄsim and Ê¿AbdallÄh, both of whom died in infancy.

(d.Â 21/642), from the MakhzÅ«m clan of Meccan Quraysh, lauded by Sunnis for his prominent role as military commander in the conquests of Iraq and Syria and condemned by the ShiÊ¿is for his antagonism toward Ê¿AlÄ«.

() strongly militarist group of Muslims who seceded from Ê¿AlÄ«âs following subsequent to the post-á¹¢iffÄ«n arbitration. With the anti-Ê¿AlÄ« dictum, â¨No rule save Godâs!â© (lÄ á¸¥ukma illÄ li-llÄh), they killed any who disagreed. Ê¿AlÄ« fought and defeated them at the Battle of NahrawÄn in 38/658. Most Kharijite factions eventually died out; they survive today as the milder IbÄá¸Ä« denomination in Oman and North Africa. (See further: á¸¤ 4:132â278.)

oasis 150 kilometers north of Medina, famous for its abundance of date palms, with a large Jewish population in pre-Islamic times. Khaybar was the site of a major battle between Muá¸¥ammad and the Jews in 7/628. Ê¿AlÄ« played a major role in the Muslim victory when he slew the Jewish champion Mará¸¥ab in single combat.

(d.Â 38/658), chieftain of the NÄjiyah tribe, which had converted to Islam and who, under his leadership, deserted from Ê¿AlÄ«âs army after the post-á¹¢iffÄ«n arbitration and reverted to Christianity. Ê¿AlÄ« sent troops under MaÊ¿qil ibn Qays al-RiyÄá¸¥Ä« to fight them, and KhirrÄ«t was killed in the ensuing battle. (See further: á¸¤ 3:120â151.)

() region comprising present-day northeastern Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia. In Sasanian times, Khurasan was one of the four great provincial governorates. The Muslims conquered it ca.Â 30/651, and it remained one of the richest provinces of the early Islamic period.

Persian merchant clan, which Ê¿AlÄ« encountered in Anbar, in northern Iraq, in 36/656, on the march toward the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n.

() official discourse serving various religious, political, legislative, military, and other purposes, and containing diverse themes of piety, policy, exhortation to battle, and law. In modern usage, the term almost exclusively denotes the ritual Friday sermon.

(d.Â 37/657), famous as DhÅ« al-ShahÄdatayn, The Twice-Martyred, from Muá¸¥ammadâs hadith stating that his martyrdom had a twofold worth. DhÅ« al-ShahÄdatayn was an early convert to Islam from the Medinan tribe of Aws and one of the Allies who fought for Muá¸¥ammad at Badr and Uá¸¥ud. He was killed fighting for Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 10:107â108; BÂ 591; n.Â 3 of RÂ 2:192.)

() province in the southwest of present-day Iran, adjacent to the province of Fars, conquered by the Muslims in ca.Â 17/638.

letter or book. The Book (Ar. KitÄb) is the QurÊ¾an.

garrison city founded in 17/638, during the Muslim conquests along the Euphrates, on the alluvial plains of Iraq. The city served as Ê¿AlÄ«âs capital and remained a center for ShiÊ¿i Islam for centuries afterward. Today it is a suburb of Najaf, the city that houses Ê¿AlÄ«âs shrine, and a place of pilgrimage.

(d. after 61/680), son of ShihÄb ibn al-MajnÅ«n, a Basran (also identified as Kufan, perhaps having moved there during Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate) who is said to have been an associate of Ê¿AlÄ«, his sons á¸¤asan and á¸¤usayn, and his grandson Ê¿AlÄ« Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n.

(d.Â 82/701), close companion of Ê¿AlÄ« who fought at á¹¢iffÄ«n and served as governor of HÄ«t, a frontier town in the north of Iraq. He narrated Ê¿AlÄ«âs words and the famous Kumaylâs Prayer is one he is said to have learned from Ê¿AlÄ«. Kumayl, alongside other staunch and vocal supporters of Ê¿AlÄ«, was executed by the Umayyad governor á¸¤ajjÄj. (See further: á¸¤ 17:149â150.)

(d.Â ca.Â 61/681), Ê¿AlÄ«âs wife whom he married during the early part of his caliphate in Basra. She bore him three sons: two died fighting for á¸¤usayn in Karbala. In some reports, LaylÄ also accompanied á¸¤usayn to Karbala. She died soon thereafter in Medina. (See further: FÂ 271â272.)

see IblÄ«s

lit. The Cities, metropolis of several adjacent cities on the Tigris River, 32 kilometers southeast of Abbasid Baghdad; one of them, Ctesiphon, was the Sasanian capital. At the time of the Muslim conquest in 16/637, Ctesiphon was the residence of the Jewish Exilarch and the Nestorian Catholicos. It was home to a population of around 130,000, with diverse faiths including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, and varied ethnicities, including Aramaeans, Greeks, Persians, and Syrians.

large tribal group in the southern Arabian Peninsula and Yemen. Madhá¸¥ij played an important role in the early Muslim conquests, especially of Egypt. They fought with Ê¿AlÄ« at á¹¢iffÄ«n, under the leadership of MÄlik al-Ashtar.

lit. The Rightly Guided One, the Messiah who will come at the end of time and institute an era of justice and peace. The MahdÄ« is a descendant of Muá¸¥ammad.

prominent clan of Quraysh. (See further: BÂ 964.)

angel who guards the gates of hell.

(d.Â ca.Â 37/658), tribal chieftain of the Madhá¸¥ij tribe of Kufa, one of the foremost warriors of the early Muslim conquests and one of Ê¿AlÄ«âs strongest supporters. Ê¿AlÄ« sent Ashtar as governor to Egypt, where he was reportedly poisoned at MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs behest. Earlier, he had been among the group who called for Ê¿UthmÄnâs resignation. (See further: á¸¤ 15:98â102; BÂ 888.)

(r. 198â218/813â833), Abbasid caliph.

(d.Â 43/663), chieftain of the TamÄ«m tribe of Kufa, loyal supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«. MaÊ¿qil commanded battalions at the Battle of the Camel and á¹¢iffÄ«n and led troops against renegade groups during Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate. Later, he was killed fighting the Kharijites. (See further: á¸¤ 3:120â151, 15:92; BÂ 794; FÂ 369â370.)

() site of a great dam and capital of the Sabaean realm in southwest Arabia, ruled in classical antiquity by the legendary BilqÄ«s, Queen of Sheba (SabaÊ¾, or SabÄ), whose story is recounted together with the story of Solomon in the QurÊ¾an (Q Naml 27:20â44). The QurÊ¾an also speaks of a devastating flood that submerged the gardens of Sheba and brought drought (Q SabaÊ¾ 34:15â17). Present-day MaÊ¾rib is the main town of the district of the same name, 135 kilometers east of Sanaa.

see faith-leavers

(r. 64â65/684â685), first caliph of the MarwÄnid branch of the Umayyads, earlier exiled along with his father from Medina by Muá¸¥ammad. MarwÄn returned to become a key supporter of his cousin Ê¿UthmÄn. He fought against Ê¿AlÄ« in the Battle of the Camel but reluctantly pledged allegiance to him when defeated. (See further: á¸¤ 6:148â165.)

() holy woman in Islam, mother of the Prophet Jesus. An entire chapter of the QurÊ¾an is named for her, which relates there and elsewhere the story of her upbringing by Zachariah, her receiving food directly from God, her miraculous conception and birth of Jesus.

(fl. 2nd/8th c.), one of the associates of the ShiÊ¿i Imams Muá¸¥ammad al-BÄqir and JaÊ¿far al-á¹¢Ädiq, who narrated their words. MasÊ¿adah is the author of a lost book titled Khuá¹ab AmÄ«r al-MuÊ¾minÄ«n (Orations of the Commander of the Faithful).

an excellent type of blade, so called in relation to MashÄrif, a town in Yemen, or to certain towns called the MashÄrif of Syria.

(d.Â 50/670), of the Bakr tribe, Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in ArdashÄ«r-khurrah. Maá¹£qalah is noted for purchasing the freedom of the NÄjiyah war captives from Ê¿AlÄ«âs commander MaÊ¿qil ibn Qays, then fleeing to MuÊ¿Äwiyah without paying. After Ê¿AlÄ«âs death, he remained in MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs service and participated in the killing of Ê¿AlÄ«âs supporter á¸¤ujr ibn Ê¿AdÄ«. MuÊ¿Äwiyah sent Maá¹£qalah to conquer á¹¬abaristÄn, where he was killed. (See further: á¸¤ 3:120â151.)

pre-Islamic game of chance that involved drawing arrows to determine the division of a slaughtered camelâs meat; the man who drew the longest arrow won the choicest part. The QurÊ¾an condemns the practice as Satanâs handiwork (Q Baqarah 2:219; MÄÊ¾idah 5:90â91.)

() holiest city of Islam, birthplace of Muá¸¥ammad and Ê¿AlÄ«, home to the KaÊ¿bah and locus of worship for Muslims worldwide. In pre-Islamic times, Mecca was the abode of the Quraysh tribe and a site of pilgrimage. Muá¸¥ammad spent his youth and the first thirteen years of his mission there. Mecca is also known as Umm al-QurÄ (Mother of all Cities), Baá¹á¸¥ÄÊ¾ (The Flatland), and Bakkah.

() second holiest city of Islam, Muá¸¥ammadâs home for his final ten years, after he had migrated from Mecca, and capital of the Islamic polity during the first three caliphates. It is located 160 kilometers from the Red Sea and 350 kilometers north of Mecca, in the á¸¤ijÄz province of present-day Saudi Arabia. Medina is short for MadÄ«nat al-NabÄ«, City of the Prophet. It is also known as á¹¬aybah (The Pure City) and DÄr al-Hijrah (Home of Migration). In pre-Islamic times, it was a flourishing and fertile settlement named Yathrib, populated by the pagan tribes of Aws and Khazraj, and the Jewish tribes of Naá¸Ä«r, QaynuqÄÊ¿, and Qurayáºah, who collectively invited Muá¸¥ammad to settle there as its chief.

() an epithet of Jesus, a prophet in Islam.

() an archangel of Islamic tradition, mentioned in the QurÊ¾an and paired with Gabriel.

see Hijrah

see Michael.

(d.Â 65/684), embraced Islam, along with his tribal delegation, at Muá¸¥ammadâs hands. Afterward, he fought at the Battle of QÄdisiyyah in Iraq and settled in Kufa. Mikhnaf was a strong supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«. He commanded the AzdÄ« battalion in Ê¿AlÄ«âs battles and served as Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in Isfahan. Later, after Ê¿AlÄ«âs son á¸¤usayn was martyred at Karbala, Mikhnaf joined the TawwÄbÅ«n (Penitents), who sought revenge for á¸¤usaynâs death, and was killed in the ensuing Battle of Ê¿Ayn al-Wardah. Mikhnafâs grandson, the important historian AbÅ« Mikhnaf LÅ«á¹ ibn Yaá¸¥yÄ (d.Â 157/774), relates much of his material on Ê¿AlÄ« and á¸¤usayn from his grandfather.

(d.Â 33/653), also known as al-MiqdÄd ibn al-Aswad, staunch supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«, Companion of Muá¸¥ammad, and one of the first Muslims. Earlier, after an altercation in his homeland of Kindah, in Yemen, MiqdÄd fled to Mecca, where he was adopted by al-Aswad ibn Ê¿Abd YaghÅ«th al-ZuhrÄ«. He fought in all Muá¸¥ammadâs battles and was given command in several. Later, he took part in the Muslim conquest of Syria.

() prophet in Islam

() fortress city in north Iraq, important in early Islamic times, located on the Tigris River, opposite ancient Nineveh. After the Muslim conquest of Nineveh in 20/641, Mosul was set up nearby as a military camp city.

(d.Â 60/680), major enemy of Ê¿AlÄ« and the first Umayyad caliph. MuÊ¿Äwiyah was Ê¿UthmÄnâs cousin and had served as governor of Syria under him and earlier under Ê¿Umar. He refused to accept Ê¿AlÄ« as caliph and fought him, with the support of the people of Syria, at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, in 37/657. After Ê¿AlÄ«âs death in 40/661, Ê¿AlÄ«âs son á¸¤asan concluded a peace agreement and MuÊ¿Äwiyah became caliph. He ruled from Damascus for 20 years. (See further: á¸¤ 6:334â340.)

one of the two largest tribal federations in ancient north Arabia (the other is RabÄ«Ê¿ah). The federation is named for Muá¸ar ibn NizÄr ibn MaÊ¿add ibn Ê¿AdnÄn, eponymous ancestor of Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs tribe of Quraysh. (See further: BÂ 772; á¸¤ 13:198.)

(d.Â ca.Â 50/670), late Emigrant notorious for the laxness of his faith and for his political cunning. MughÄ«rah was appointed governor of Basra by Ê¿Umar, then dismissed for indecency. He returned to Iraq to serve as Ê¿UthmÄnâs governor in Kufa, and again after Ê¿AlÄ«âs death under MuÊ¿Äwiyah, at which time he openly cursed Ê¿AlÄ« on the pulpit. He had been among those who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ« after Ê¿UthmÄnâs death. (See further: á¸¤ 20:8â10.)

(d.Â 35/656), poet from the ThaqÄ«f tribe, close associate of Ê¿UthmÄn (he was killed alongside him), and keen enemy of Ê¿AlÄ«. MughÄ«rahâs brother AbÅ« al-á¸¤akam had been among the Meccans Ê¿AlÄ« had slain at the Battle of Uá¸¥ud. MughÄ«rahâs father, Akhnas, Muá¸¥ammadâs fierce enemy, had accepted Islam reluctantly following the conquest of Mecca; presumably, MughÄ«rah also converted then. (See further: á¸¤ 8:301â303.)

(d.Â ca.Â 114/732), grandson of the Prophetâs grandson á¸¤usayn, recognized by the IsmaÊ¿ili and Twelver ShiÊ¿a as the Imam after his father, Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n. He was a child when he accompanied his father and grandfather to Karbala. Known as al-BÄqir or BÄqir al-Ê¿ilm, âthe one who possesses full knowledge,â he is the source of many oral reports in ShiÊ¿i tradition. He spent his life in Medina and died there.

(d.Â 11/632), Prophet of Islam and Messenger of God (RasÅ«l AllÄh).

(d.Â 38/658), Ê¿AlÄ«âs ward and staunch supporter. His father, the first caliph, AbÅ« Bakr, died when he was a child, and Ê¿AlÄ«, who married his widowed mother, AsmÄÊ¾ bint Ê¿Umays, raised him. Muá¸¥ammad fought alongside Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of the Camel, against his sister Ê¿ÄÊ¾ishah. Serving for a short time as Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in Egypt, he was tortured and killed by MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs commander Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£ when Ê¿Amr captured Egypt after the arbitration. (See further: á¸¤ 6:53â54, 16:142â143; BÂ 861; RÂ 1:295.)

(d.Â 81/700), also known as Muá¸¥ammad ibn al-á¸¤anafiyyah and Ibn al-á¸¤anafiyyah, Ê¿AlÄ«âs son, á¸¤asanâs and á¸¤usaynâs half-brother, who was active in his fatherâs service, especially at á¹¢iffÄ«n. In Umayyad times, the Kufan chieftain al-MukhtÄr al-ThaqafÄ« led a major rebellion in Iraq in Ibn al-á¸¤anafiyyahâs name.

(d.Â 101/719), son of the Umayyad caliph MarwÄn I and half-brother of the Umayyad caliph Ê¿Abd al-Malik, Muá¸¥ammad served as governor of Armenia under Ê¿Abd al-Malik and as the commander of military expeditions.

(d.Â 43/663 or 45/666), of the Aws tribe of Medina, an early convert to Islam who later participated in the conquest of Egypt. He was among a handful of Companions who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ« and sat out his battles.

(d.Â 61/681), recalcitrant Kufan chieftain who initially fought alongside Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of the Camel, but later, when appointed governor of Fars, stole from the treasury and was dismissed. In 61/681, two decades after Ê¿AlÄ«âs death, when al-á¸¤usayn ibn Ê¿AlÄ« sent a messenger to Mundhir asking for help, he turned the messenger over to the Umayyad governor Ibn ZiyÄd for execution. As a reward, Ibn ZiyÄd appointed Mundhir governor of Sind, where he died almost immediately. (See further: á¸¤ 17:55â57.)

a town two hours south of Karak, in present-day Jordan, site of a battle between the Muslims and the Byzantines in 8/629, in which three Muslim commanders were killed, one following the other, including Ê¿AlÄ«âs brother JaÊ¿far al-á¹¬ayyÄr. Three years later, the Muslims returned, under the command of UsÄmah ibn Zayd, to defeat the Byzantines.

(sing. MuÊ¿tazilÄ«) rationalist school of Islamic theology, which used the dialectics of Greek philosophy. Its subscribers called themselves âpeople of unity and justiceâ (ahl al-tawá¸¥Ä«d wa-l-Ê¿adl), meaning that they were strictly non-anthropomorphic proponents of Godâs oneness and advocates for his justice and thus of human free will.

(fl. 1st/7th c.), âThe Harlot,â lit. âthe woman who shows herself,â infamous appellation of Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£âs mother in pre-Islamic times. Her given name is not mentioned in the sources. (See further: á¸¤ 6:283; BÂ 335; MÂ 1:415.)

(or NihÄwand or NahÄvand or NihÄvand) town in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, 80 kilometers south of the city of HamadhÄn, site of a battle in 21/642 between the Muslims and the Persian Sasanians, in which the Muslims won a decisive victory.

(present-day Sifwah) also called Jisr al-NahrawÄn, a town in the lower DiyÄlÄ region east of the Tigris River in Iraq, location of a battle between Ê¿AlÄ« and the Kharijite defectors from his á¹¢iffÄ«n army under Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn Wahb, on 9 Safar 38/17Â July 658. Persuaded by Ê¿AlÄ«âs speech, over a thousand Kharijite fighters left without fighting. Of the 2,800 men remaining, a handful fled during the battle, the 400 wounded were pardoned by Ê¿AlÄ«, and the rest were killed. (See further: á¸¤ 2:265â283; BÂ 245â246.)

Christian tribe in pre-Islamic times of contested origins (NÄjiyah is their eponymous mother), many of whom had converted to Islam. The NÄjiyah tribe served in Ê¿AlÄ«âs army in the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, then deserted under the leadership of al-KhirrÄ«t ibn RÄshid and reverted to Christianity. (See further: á¸¤ 3:120â151.)

see pledge-breakers

classical Nasibis or Nisibis or Nesbin, Nusaybin in modern Turkey, where it is now located, earlier in northern Iraq. An ancient, fortified, frontier city on the HirmÄs River, conquered by the Muslims in 18/639.

(fl. 1st/7th c.), member of the BikÄl clan of the á¸¤imyar tribe of Yemen, an associate of Ê¿AlÄ«. (See further: BÂ 585; á¸¤ 10:76â77, 18:265â266.)

() Thursday-Friday 7â8 á¹¢afar 37/27â28Â July 658, the final, bloody night of the two-month Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, between the forces of Ê¿AlÄ« and MuÊ¿Äwiyah. (See further: BÂ 289.)

() notch at the end of an arrow into which the bowstring fits, fÅ«q also indicates a broken nock.

town in Iraq near Kufa, on the road to Syria, where Ê¿AlÄ« stopped enroute to á¹¢iffÄ«n. It is said to correspond to present-day KhÄn Ibn Nukhaylah, located between Karbala and Kufa.

(d. after 40/661), from the Zurayq clan of the Khazraj tribe, one of the leaders of Muá¸¥ammadâs Allies in Medina, and a poet. Outspoken in supporting Ê¿AlÄ«âs right to the caliphate over AbÅ« Bakr, NuÊ¿mÄn was also one of the thirty witnesses who testified to Muá¸¥ammadâs appointment of Ê¿AlÄ« at GhadÄ«r Khumm, when Ê¿AlÄ« called on them in Kufa. He participated in á¹¢iffÄ«n and served as âAlÄ«âs governor in Bahrain. (See further: á¸¤ 16:174; BÂ 869.)

(d.Â 65/684), among the handful of Medinans who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ« after Ê¿UthmÄnâs death and the only person from the Allies who became MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs staunch supporter. According to some reports, NuÊ¿mÄn brought Ê¿UthmÄnâs bloodstained shirt to Damascus, and MuÊ¿Äwiyah then exhibited it in the mosque. He fought with MuÊ¿Äwiyah against Ê¿AlÄ« in the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, and he undertook an expedition against Ê¿Ayn al-Tamr on Ê¿AlÄ«âs frontier in 39/659 but was forced to retreat. (á¸¤ 1:301â306.)

() formal profession of loyalty and obedience rendered, with an oath, to the Prophet and the Caliphs by each of their subjects.

() title of the ancient rulers of Egypt in the QurÊ¾an, Pharaoh is condemned as an evil ruler who refused to obey God and his messenger, Moses.

see Fars

() ruled by the Sasanian dynasty, defeated by the Muslims in the Battle of QÄdisiyyah in Iraq (bet. 14â17/635â638) and the Battle of NahÄwand in Iran (21/642).

see hajj and Ê¿umrah

see oath of allegiance

() appellation of those who fought Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of the Camel. (See further: á¸¤ 13:183â184; BÂ 771â772; FÂ 364â365.)

() also called âpeople with a covenant,â members of revealed religions, to whom the early Islamic state provided protected status.

() Davidâs book of hymns, to which reference is made in the QurÊ¾an.

small town south of present-day Najaf in Iraq, site of a major Muslim victory over the Sasanians in ca.Â 16/637, which opened Iraq and Persia to further conquest.

(Latin: Circesium) Roman fortress city near the junction of the Euphrates and KhÄbÅ«r rivers at the empireâs eastern frontier, corresponding to the present-day village of Buá¹£ayrah. Conquered by the Muslims in 18/638, QarqÄ«siyÄ continued to be contested by competing Muslim states due to its strategic location between Syria and Iraq.

(fl. 3rd c. AD), proverbial counsellor to the pre-Islamic Iraqi AzdÄ« king JadhÄ«mah ibn MÄlik ibn Naá¹£r. JadhÄ«mah was killed by Zenobia (Ar. ZabbÄÊ¾), Queen of Palmyra, whose father he had killed, and whom he had set out to wed against Qaá¹£Ä«râs advice.

see wrongdoers

(d.Â ca.Â 59/678), son of Muá¸¥ammadâs Companion SaÊ¿d ibn Ê¿UbÄdah al-Aná¹£ÄrÄ«, Qays was Ê¿AlÄ«âs first governor in Egypt and one of his commanders at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 10:112; BÂ 591.)

direction of the KaÊ¿bah in Mecca, which all Muslims face in ritual prayer. People of the Qiblah refers to Muslims.

() holy book of the Muslims, revealed by God to Muá¸¥ammad, also called The Book (Ar. KitÄb) and The Wise Remembrance (Ar. al-Dhikr al-á¸¥akÄ«m).

Muá¸¥ammadâs tribe. They lived in Mecca and were initially his bitter enemies, fighting him in the Battles of Badr, Uá¸¥ud, and The Confederates. When Muá¸¥ammad conquered Mecca in 8/630, they reluctantly accepted Islam en masse.

(d.Â 56/676), cousin of Muá¸¥ammad and Ê¿AlÄ«, brother of Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn al-Ê¿AbbÄs, served as Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in charge of Mecca, Medina, and á¹¬ÄÊ¾if. (See further: á¸¤ 16:140â141.)

early Muslim settlement in the foothills of the á¸¤ijÄz mountains, 200 kilometers to the northeast of Medina, now an archaeological site marked by the cistern of AbÅ« SalÄ«m. In early Islamic times it lay on the main pilgrimage route from Kufa to Mecca.

(d.Â ca.Â 48/668), participated in the Muslim conquest of Khurasan and served as governor of Bahrain during Ê¿Umarâs caliphate, and of Khurasan during MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs. (See further: á¸¤ 11:37.)

one of the two largest tribal federations in ancient north Arabia (the other is Muá¸ar), named for RabÄ«Ê¿at al-Faras ibn NizÄr ibn MaÊ¿add ibn Ê¿AdnÄn, eponymous ancestor of the tribes of Bakr and Taghlib. RabÄ«Ê¿ah was divided among Ê¿AlÄ« and his opponents during the Battle of the Camel and á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: BÂ 772; á¸¤ 13:198.)

(d.Â 406/1015) descendant of Muá¸¥ammad who lived in Abbasid Baghdad, distinguished scholar and poet, compiler of Nahj al-BalÄghah.

() town in the Khuzistan province of southwestern Iran, conquered by the Muslims in 17/638, reportedly the ancestral homeland of Salman al-FÄrisÄ«.

town in northwest Syria on the Euphrates, conquered by the Muslims in ca.Â 18/639. In 36/656, Ê¿AlÄ« crossed the Euphrates at Raqqah on his way to á¹¢iffÄ«n. Located close by, the burials of Ê¿AlÄ«âs followers remain venerated places of ShiÊ¿i pilgrimage.

see gharÄ«b

lit. well. The âpeople of Rassâ (aá¹£á¸¥Äb al-Rass) are mentioned in the QurÊ¾an, alongside Ê¿Äd and ThamÅ«d, as unbelieving peoples of ancient times, destroyed for their impiety (Q FurqÄn 25:38). (See further: á¸¤ 10:94â95; BÂ 589; RÂ 2:191; FÂ 303â304.)

(d.Â 573/1177), early Twelver ShiÊ¿i commentator on Nahj al-BalÄghah, a jurist, exegete, theologian, and hadith scholar, student of á¹¬abrisÄ«, author of around 60 books. He died in Qum and is buried there.

letter, treatise, or message.

(rendered into English as Sheba; fl. before 7th c. AD), proverbial pre-Islamic individual from Yemen. In the proverb, âThey dispersed like the hands of SabÄ,â SabÄâs hands are a metaphor for his sons. Warned by a sybil of the MaÊ¾rib damâs imminent rupture, they dispersed across Arabia. (See further: á¸¤ 7:74â75; BÂ 403; RÂ 1:432.)

see KaÊ¿bah

(d. between 50/670 and 58/677), among the first Muslims, commander of the Arab armies during the conquest of Iraq, and member of the ShÅ«rÄ Council that elected Ê¿UthmÄn. SaÊ¿d was among the handful of prominent Companions who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ« and sat out his battles.

plant growing in the arid wastes of Arabia, prized for camel pasturing, with a head of prickles that wound human feet.

(d.Â ca.Â 20/640), from the HÄshim clan of Quraysh, paternal aunt of Muá¸¥ammad and Ê¿AlÄ«, and mother of al-Zubayr ibn al-Ê¿AwwÄm. á¹¢afiyyah was one of the earliest converts to Islam and migrated with Muá¸¥ammad to Medina.

(d.Â ca.Â 41/661), one of the leaders of Quraysh who spearheaded the Battle of the Confederates against Muá¸¥ammad. His father, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, was also Muá¸¥ammadâs inveterate opponent. á¹¢afwÄn converted to Islam after the Battle of á¸¤unayn, in 8/630. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

(d.Â 38/658), of the Medinan Aws tribe, was an early Companion and narrator of hadith. Ê¿AlÄ«âs staunch supporter, Sahl reportedly debated with AbÅ« Bakr about Ê¿AlÄ«âs rightful succession to Muá¸¥ammad. During Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate, he served as governor in Medina, Basra, and Fars, and he fought in the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. He died in Kufa, soon after returning from á¹¢iffÄ«n.

(d.Â 59/678), from the Umayyad clan of Quraysh, Ê¿UthmÄnâs governor of Kufa 29â34/649â655, and later, MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs governor of Medina.

(d.Â ca.Â 70/689), participated in the battles of YarmÅ«k and QÄdisiyyah during the Muslim conquests. A loyal follower of Ê¿AlÄ«, SaÊ¿Ä«d served as his scribe, and as his governor in Yemen. Later imprisoned by the Umayyad governor ZiyÄd for denouncing the Umayyadsâ cursing of Ê¿AlÄ«, alongside Ê¿AlÄ«âs supporter á¸¤ujr ibn Ê¿AdÄ«. SaÊ¿Ä«d was released, while á¸¤ujr was executed.

(d.Â 249/863), author of MaghÄzÄ« (Expeditions), a recension of the Book of Expeditions composed by his father, AbÅ« AyyÅ«b Yaá¸¥yÄ ibn SaÊ¿Ä«d al-UmawÄ« (d.Â 194/809). His father was a native of Kufa who settled in Baghdad and had studied with Ibn Isá¸¥Äq (d.Â ca.Â 151/768), author of one of the earliest Expeditions.

(d.Â 50 or 51/670â671), from Quraysh, cousin and brother-in-law of Ê¿Umar, and one of the earliest Muslims. SaÊ¿Ä«d was among the handful of prominent Medinans who refused to support Ê¿AlÄ« during his caliphate.

clan of the ancient Yemeni tribe of á¹¬ayy (or á¹¬ayyiÊ¾) who migrated in the 2nd centuryÂ AD to Syria, to what is known as Jabal á¹¬ayy (later Jabal ShammÄr).

ancient Arabian prophet sent to the tribe of ThamÅ«d. The focus of his story is that God sent him with a camel mare as a divine sign; his tribe killed the camel mare, and God destroyed them in retribution.

(d. after 37/658), from the tribe of SalÄmÄn ibn á¹¬ayy in Kufa, follower of Ê¿AlÄ«, who was ill and unable to accompany him to á¹¢iffÄ«n.

(d.Â 35/655), prominent early Companion of Muá¸¥ammad who came from Persia. Muá¸¥ammad said, âSalmÄn is one of us, People of the House.â SalmÄn was also a close companion and staunch supporter of Ê¿AlÄ«. Governor of MadÄÊ¾in in Ê¿Umarâs reign, he died and was buried there. (See further: á¸¤ 19:34â39.)

(Portico) estate in Medina belonging to the SÄÊ¿idah clan, where, immediately after Muá¸¥ammadâs death, some of his Companions gathered and pledged allegiance to AbÅ« Bakr as caliph. (See further: BÂ 292â293.)

(d.Â ca.Â 56/676), poet, orator, and chieftain of his tribe of Ê¿Abd al-Qays, devoted supporter of Ê¿AlÄ« who fought in all his battles and attempted to persuade the Kharijites to return to the fold in the lead-up to the Battle of NahrawÄn. After Ê¿AlÄ«âs death, at MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs court, á¹¢aÊ¿á¹£aÊ¿ah discoursed eloquently on Ê¿AlÄ«âs merits. In some reports, MuÊ¿Äwiyah exiled him to Bahrain, where he died. In other reports, á¹¢aÊ¿á¹£aÊ¿ah paid homage to Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n when the latter returned from Karbala after á¸¤usayn was killed.

() lit. wide path to the watering hole, term indicating the Law laid down by each of Godâs six major prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muá¸¥ammad.

see Raá¸Ä«.

(d.Â 2/624), chieftain of the Ê¿Abd Shams clan of the Meccan Quraysh, slain by Muá¸¥ammadâs uncle á¸¤amzah in single combat at the Battle of Badr. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

lit. followers, shortened from ShÄ«Ê¿at Ê¿AlÄ« (followers of Ê¿AlÄ«), Muslims who believe that Muá¸¥ammad appointed Ê¿AlÄ« through divine revelation to lead the Muslim community after him as Imam, and, therefore, that Ê¿AlÄ« was his rightful successor in both his temporal and spiritual roles. Over time, three major branches of the ShiÊ¿a evolved: Twelver, IsmÄÊ¿Ä«lÄ«, and ZaydÄ«.

() clan of the large Yemeni tribe of Hamdan, most of whom fought for Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. The clan is unusually named after the mountain that is their ancestral homeland, ShibÄm KawkabÄn, northwest of Sanaa, and not after an eponymous ancestor.

() electoral council set up by Ê¿Umar to choose one of their members as the next caliph. The six members consisted of Ê¿UthmÄn ibn Ê¿AffÄn, who was elected caliph by the council, Ê¿AlÄ« ibn AbÄ« á¹¬Älib, who opposed the election, and Ê¿Abd al-Raá¸¥mÄn ibn Ê¿Awf, who presided, as well as al-Zubayr ibn al-Ê¿AwwÄm, SaÊ¿d ibn AbÄ« WaqqÄá¹£, and á¹¬alá¸¥ah ibn Ê¿UbaydallÄh.

(d.Â ca.Â 80/699), of Yemeni birth and Persian ethnicity, jurist, hadith scholar, and litterateur, served as judge in Kufa during the caliphates of Ê¿Umar, Ê¿UthmÄn, Ê¿AlÄ«, and MuÊ¿Äwiyah. (See further: á¸¤ 14:28â29.)

(d.Â 78/697), Ê¿AlÄ«âs loyal follower and one of his commanders at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n, who lived to an old age. Shurayá¸¥ challenged MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs execution of Ê¿AlÄ«âs follower á¸¤ujr ibn Ê¿AdÄ«, and was forced to flee to SijistÄn, where he was killed. (See further: á¸¤ 17:138.)

site of the major Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n fought between Ê¿AlÄ« and MuÊ¿Äwiyah in 37/657, which ended in arbitration. á¹¢iffÄ«n was then an abandoned Byzantine village near Raqqah, in north-central Syria, on the Euphrates River; it is identified in the present day with the village named AbÅ« Hurayrah. The main extant source for the battle is MinqarÄ«âs Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n (WaqÊ¿at á¹¢iffÄ«n).

() signature or seal placed on a decree.

() (fl. 10th c. BC), biblical king of Israel, son and successor of King David, revered alongside his father as a prophet in Islam. Solomon is frequently mentioned in the QurÊ¾an, particularly in connection with his knowledge of the language of the birds, and his command over the jinn and the winds.

(d.Â ca.Â 54/674), from the GhÄmid clan of the Azd SarÄt tribe of western Arabia, who fought in the Muslim conquests of Syria and became attached to the Umayyads. SufyÄn served as MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs commander in his conflict with Ê¿AlÄ« and led a notoriously brutal raid against Anbar. Later, he commanded a large Umayyad force against the Byzantines and was killed in the battle.

lit. the man from the SufyÄn clan, whose harm is prophesied in Â§â¯1.136.3. The commentators state that it refers to the Umayyad caliph Ê¿Abd al-Malik. (á¸¤ 9:47; BÂ 486.)

(d.Â 18/639), of the Umayyad clan of Quraysh, a leader in the Battle of the Confederates in 5/627 against the Muslims, an eloquent orator and one of Muá¸¥ammadâs fiercest enemies. Suhayl converted to Islam when Muá¸¥ammad conquered Mecca and later participated with the Muslims in the Battle of YarmÅ«k. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

(d.Â 76/695), loyal follower of Ê¿AlÄ«, who supported him before his caliphate, and who, during his caliphate, participated in all his battles. Later, Sulaym remained a follower of Ê¿AlÄ«âs sons á¸¤asan and á¸¤usayn and of á¸¤usaynâs son Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n. He is said to be the author of a compilation of Ê¿AlÄ«âs sayings and sayings of the early ShiÊ¿i Imams, known as KitÄb Sulaym (Sulaymâs Book).

(r. 96â99/715â717), Umayyad caliph.

() (fl. 1st/7th c.), from the Ê¿Abd Shams clan of the Zayd ManÄt tribe of TamÄ«m, slave, mother of the Umayyad governor ZiyÄd. Married to Muá¸¥ammad ibn Ê¿AbdallÄh al-AzraqÄ«, Sumayyah is characterized in the sources as promiscuous. Among the stories of ZiyÄdâs parentage, one story recounts that MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs father, AbÅ« SufyÄn, boasted that he, AbÅ« SufyÄn, had âplaced ZiyÄd inside Sumayyahâs womb.â

, lit. âwell-trodden path to a waterhole,â refers to the accepted practice of the pious forbears, and when used without qualifiers, specifically to Muá¸¥ammadâs.

, lit. âemulator of the Prophetâs practice,â someone belonging to the denomination of Muslims who believe that Muá¸¥ammad died without appointing an heir, and who revere the first four leaders of the communityâAbÅ« Bakr, Ê¿Umar, Ê¿UthmÄn, and Ê¿AlÄ«âas Rightly Guided Caliphs. The term Sunni emerged from the earlier political appellation, âpeople adhering to the sunnah and majority.â

() one of the 114 chapters in the QurÊ¾an.

() the Levant. Syria in early Islam included the present-day nation states of Israel-Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and southeastern Turkey. Then, too, the capital was Damascus.

() refers, in the context of Ê¿AlÄ«âs caliphate, to MuÊ¿Äwiyah and his supporters.

(d.Â 3/624), of the clan of Ê¿Abd al-DÄr of the Quraysh tribe, part of the Meccan opposition against Muá¸¥ammad. á¹¬alá¸¥ah was the Meccansâ standard-bearer during the Battle of Uá¸¥ud, where he was slain by Muá¸¥ammadâs uncle á¸¤amzah, or by Ê¿AlÄ«, and where his two brothers and four sons were also killed.

(d.Â 36/656), of the Taym clan of the Meccan Quraysh tribe, Muá¸¥ammadâs Companion who later took part in the Muslim conquest of Syria and Egypt and was a member of the ShÅ«rÄ Council that elected Ê¿UthmÄn. á¹¬alá¸¥ah was killed leading the fight against Ê¿AlÄ« in the Battle of the Camel, outside Basra.

large tribe in central and eastern Arabia. Their pedigree is TamÄ«m ibn Murr ibn Udd ibn á¹¬Äbikhah ibn IlyÄs ibn Muá¸ar ibn NizÄr ibn MaÊ¿add ibn Ê¿AdnÄn. In the early Islamic period, both Basra and Kufa were extensions of TamÄ«mâs territories. TamÄ«mÄ«s in Basra were further divided into the clans of SaÊ¿d, á¸¤anáºalah, and Ê¿Amr; the SaÊ¿d sat out the Battle of the Camel, but they fought for Ê¿AlÄ« at á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 15:126â136.)

see Medina

clan of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca, whose pedigree is Taym ibn Murrah ibn KaÊ¿b ibn LuÊ¾ayy ibn GhÄlib ibn Fihr. AbÅ« Bakr and á¹¬alá¸¥ah were from this clan.

(d.Â 291/904), leading scholar of the Kufan school of Arabic grammar, cited by Raá¸Ä« in Nahj al-BalÄghah.

caravan stop in Najd, on the Kufa-to-Mecca pilgrimage route, in what is now the northeastern corner of Saudi Arabia toward the Iraqi border. á¸¤usayn ibn Ê¿AlÄ« also stopped there en route to Karbala.

ancient Arabian tribe that disappeared before the rise of Islam. They are mentioned in the QurÊ¾an as an impious people who disobeyed the Prophet á¹¢Äliá¸¥, slaughtered Godâs camel mare, and were destroyed by an exemplary divine punishment. Legend associates the cliff dwellings around the northern á¸¤ijÄzÄ« town of MadÄÊ¾in á¹¢Äliá¸¥ with the ThamÅ«d.

north Arabian tribe of the HawÄzin federation who controlled the walled town of á¹¬ÄÊ¾if in pre-Islamic times and were among Muá¸¥ammadâs staunchest enemies, until they converted to Islam after their defeat at the Battle of á¸¤unayn. The ThaqÄ«f were a major trading partner with Quraysh, and they intermarried extensively. Later the Umayyads appointed several of their governors from ThaqÄ«f.

() along with the Euphrates, one the two great rivers of Iraq. The Tigris flows south from the mountains of the Armenian highlands through the Syrian and Arabian deserts and empties into the Arabian/Persian Gulf.

refers in the present volume to the Mongols who attacked the Muslim heartlands in the 7th/13th century under Chingiz Khan and his grandson HÃ¼legÃ¼ Khan.

(d.Â 2/624), of the HÄshim clan of Quaysh, Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs cousin, one of the earliest converts to Islam, killed fighting for Muá¸¥ammad at the Battle of Badr.

(d.Â 58/677), of the HÄshim clan of Quraysh, Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs cousin, and Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in Yemen. (See further: á¸¤ 1:341â343.)

(d. after 40/661), whose father, AbÅ« RÄfiÊ¿, was one of the first Muslims and Muá¸¥ammadâs freedman, was Ê¿AlÄ«âs loyal follower, who participated in all his battles and served as his scribe in Kufa. (See further: BÂ 1003; RÂ 3:391.)

mountain 5 kilometers north of Medina, site of the second major battle between the Muslims and the Meccans, in 3/625, in which the Muslims suffered heavy losses and Muá¸¥ammadâs uncle á¸¤amzah was killed.

(d.Â 83/702), Muá¸¥ammadâs stepson and ward, son of his wife Umm Salamah from her previous husband. Ê¿Umar served as Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor in Bahrain in the lead-up to the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 16:173â174; BÂ 869.)

(r. 13â23/634â644), of the Ê¿AdÄ« clan of Quraysh, prominent Companion of Muá¸¥ammad and father of his wife á¸¤afá¹£ah. Ê¿Umar was the second Sunni caliph of the Muslim community, during whose rule the Muslim polity underwent rapid expansion into Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Iran.

() clan of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca and the first dynasty to rule the Islamic world, beginning with MuÊ¿Äwiyah, who became caliph following Ê¿AlÄ«âs death in 40/661. From their seat in Damascus, the Umayyads ruled until 132/750, when they were overthrown by the Abbasids. The third Sunni caliph, Ê¿UthmÄn, was also from this clan.

(d.Â 2/624), ancestor of the Umayyad clan of Quraysh, a leader of the Meccan opposition against Muá¸¥ammad, killed at the Battle of Badr. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

() (d. after 40/661), a learned woman from the HÄshim clan of Quraysh, Ê¿AlÄ«âs sister and Muá¸¥ammadâs cousin, and close to both. Umm HÄnÄ« was one of the earliest Muslims, and although her husband Hubayrah was not, Muá¸¥ammad spent many nights in Mecca at their home. Muá¸¥ammadâs Ascension (Ar. MiÊ¿rÄj) to the heavens is reported to have taken place on one such night.

epithet used to describe Muá¸¥ammad in the QurÊ¾an (Q AÊ¿rÄf 7:157), variously interpreted as: âMeccan,â an attributive adjective formed from Umm al-QurÄ, one of the names of Mecca; or âunletteredâ; or âof the community (ummah)â; or âaffiliated to previous scriptural communities.â

() (fl. 1st/7th c.), MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs paternal aunt, from the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe, married to Muá¸¥ammadâs paternal uncle and fierce foe, AbÅ« Lahab. Umm JamÄ«l actively sought to torment Muá¸¥ammad while he lived in Mecca, and in the Surah that curses AbÅ« Lahab, she is characterized as âThe Woman-Who-Carries-Firewood-to-Hellâ (Ar. á¸¥ammÄlat al-á¸¥aá¹ab), (Q Masad 111:1â4). (See further: á¸¤ 15:197; BÂ 822; RÂ 3:77; FÂ 374; Ê¿AÂ 681.)

see Mecca

the lesser pilgrimage to the KaÊ¿bah in Mecca, mandated, along with the hajj, once in a lifetime for every Muslim, combining rituals performed by Abraham and Muá¸¥ammad. Unlike the hajj, the Ê¿umrah may be performed at any time in the year.

(d.Â ca.Â 54/674), son of Muá¸¥ammadâs Abyssinian freedwoman Barakah Umm Ayman and Muá¸¥ammadâs adopted son Zayd ibn al-á¸¤Ärithah, born in Mecca in the early years of Islam. In 11/632, Muá¸¥ammad put UsÄmah in command of an expedition to fight the Byzantines at MuÊ¾tah, but the group turned back just before Muá¸¥ammad died. Later, UsÄmah was among the handful of prominent Companions who refused to pledge allegiance to Ê¿AlÄ« and sat out his battles.

(d.Â 2/624), of the Quraysh tribe, a leader of the Meccan opposition against Muá¸¥ammad, killed at the Battle of Badr. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

(r. 23â35/644â656), of the Umayyad clan of Quraysh, third Sunni caliph of the Muslim community. Ê¿UthmÄn married two of Muá¸¥ammadâs daughters in succession, Ruqayyah and Umm KulthÅ«m. Major Muslim conquests in Central Asia took place during his reign. Later, he was accused of nepotism and corruption and killed in Medina by a group of Muslims.

(d. after 40/661), of the Aws tribe of Medina, Companion of Muá¸¥ammad who served as Ê¿Umarâs tax collector in Iraq and Ê¿AlÄ«âs first governor in Basra. After the Battle of the Camel, Ê¿AlÄ« replaced Ibn á¸¤unayf with Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn al-Ê¿AbbÄs as governor of Basra, and Ibn á¸¤unayf left with Ê¿AlÄ« for Kufa, where he settled. (See further: á¸¤ 16:205â206.)

(d.Â 3/624), of the Jumaá¸¥ clan of Quraysh, one of Muá¸¥ammadâs earliest Companions, who took part in the first Muslim migration to Abyssinia, returned soon thereafter, then migrated with Muá¸¥ammad to Medina.

(r. 86â96/715â705), Umayyad caliph.

(d.Â 2/624), of the MakhzÅ«m clan of Quraysh, persecutor of Muá¸¥ammadâs followers in Mecca and a leader of the Meccan opposition against the Muslims at Medina, killed fighting against Muá¸¥ammad at the Battle of Badr. (See further: BÂ 776; á¸¤ 13:214; FÂ 365.)

(d.Â 61/680), of the Umayyad clan of Meccaâs Quraysh tribe, whose father, Ê¿Uqbah, was killed fighting against Muá¸¥ammad at Badr. WalÄ«d converted to Islam after the conquest of Mecca, in 8/630. He was half-brother to Ê¿UthmÄn, who appointed him governor of Kufa, then removed him from office because of his wine-drinking. Later, WalÄ«d supported MuÊ¿Äwiyah and fought against Ê¿AlÄ«. (See further: á¸¤ 17:227â245.)

(d.Â 2/624), chieftain of the Ê¿Abd Shams clan of Quraysh, MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs maternal grandfather, slain by Ê¿AlÄ« in single combat at the Battle of Badr. (See further: BÂ 792; RÂ 3:31; FÂ 369; á¸¤ 4:34.)

(d.Â 207/822), preeminent historian from Medina, also jurist and judge, who settled in Baghdad. WÄqidÄ« authored many books, and only a portion of one book, KitÄb al-MaghÄzÄ« (Expeditions), is extant. Names of his lost works, including KitÄb al-Jamal (The Battle of the Camel), and copious quotations from them survive in the historical literature.

testament, including but not limited to a deathbed testament, containing moral advice and/or instructions for distribution of property.

see QurÊ¾an

() appellation applied to MuÊ¿Äwiyah and the Syrians who fought Ê¿AlÄ« at the Battle of á¹¢iffÄ«n. (See further: á¸¤ 13:183â184; BÂ 771â772; FÂ 364â365.)

early Islamic town in the Najd region of Arabia near Kharj, 70 kilometers southeast of the present-day Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

lit. the Yemeni, the otherwise unidentified individual who narrated oration Â§â¯1.231 from one Aá¸¥mad ibn Qutaybah, identified by some commentators as the equally mysterious DhiÊ¿lib al-YamÄnÄ«, one of Ê¿AlÄ«âs interlocutors in the present volume.

oasis with wellsprings and date groves, 120 kilometers east of Medina (different from the coastal town of YanbuÊ¿ or Yenbo, formerly called YanbuÊ¿ al-Baá¸¥r). In pre-Islamic times, YanbuÊ¿ al-Nakhl was a worship center for a deity called SuwÄÊ¿. Muá¸¥ammad conquered YanbuÊ¿ al-Nakhl and reportedly built a mosque there. Ê¿AlÄ« owned an estate there. (See further: á¸¤ 13:296.)

(r. 101â105/720â724), Umayyad caliph.

(d.Â 18/639), from the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe, and MuÊ¿Äwiyahâs brother. YazÄ«d was one of the Meccans who fought against Muá¸¥ammad, and after the conquest of Mecca in 8/630 converted to Islam. Afterward, he fought in the Muslim army under Ê¿Amr ibn al-Ê¿Äá¹£ against the Byzantines. When Ê¿Amr left for Egypt, he appointed YazÄ«d in charge of Syria, where he died in the Plague of Emmaus. (See further: á¸¤ 17:256â257.)

well-known region in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. Muá¸¥ammad sent Ê¿AlÄ« to Yemen in 10/632 to call its people to Islam. Yemen and Yemenis feature in several texts in the present volume.

black slaves from East Africa brought into early Abbasid Iraq in large numbers to work in the saltpeter mines near Basra. The Zanj rebelled three times within a space of two centuries, including a violent, lengthy rebellion under Ê¿AlÄ« ibn Muá¸¥ammad al-ZanjÄ«, which ravaged Basra from 255/869 to 270/883, causing immeasurable material damage and killing tens of thousands of people. (See further: á¸¤ 8:126â214.)

(d.Â ca.Â 55/674), of the Khazraj tribe of Medina, one of Muá¸¥ammadâs Companions, who served as his scribe and recorded passages of the QurÊ¾an.

see Ê¿AlÄ« ibn al-á¸¤usayn al-SajjÄd Zayn al-Ê¿ÄbidÄ«n.

(d.Â 20/641), Muá¸¥ammadâs wife, whom he married in 4/626, after her divorce from his freedman and adopted son Zayd ibn á¸¤Ärithah (Q Aá¸¥zÄb 33:37). (See further: á¸¤ 9:242.)

(d.Â 53/673), also known as ZiyÄd ibn AbÄ« SufyÄn, deputy for Ê¿AlÄ«âs governor Ê¿AbdallÄh ibn al-Ê¿AbbÄs in Basra. Born out of wedlock to a slave named Sumayyah, ZiyÄd was later declared his half-brother by MuÊ¿Äwiyah and made governor of Iraq. (See further: á¸¤ 16:179â204.)

(d. after 37/658), of the Madhá¸¥ij tribe, fought for Ê¿AlÄ« as a subcommander under his tribesman MÄlik al-Ashtar at á¹¢iffÄ«n and NahrawÄn.

(d.Â 35/656), of the Quraysh, son of Muá¸¥ammadâs and Ê¿AlÄ«âs paternal aunt á¹¢afiyyah, one of the earliest Muslims, later a member of the ShÅ«rÄ Council that elected Ê¿UthmÄn. Zubayr was one of the leaders at the Battle of the Camel against Ê¿AlÄ«. He left the battlefield after the fighting began but was killed by a personal enemy as he was leaving.

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Nahj al-BalÄghah: The Wisdom and Eloquence of Ê¿AlÄ«

A Parallel English-Arabic Text

ä¸ç¼ï¼ Islamic Translation Series, å·ï¼ 15

Cover Nahj al-BalÄghah: The Wisdom and Eloquence of Ê¿AlÄ«

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å°å·åºçæ¥æ:: 09 Apr 2024

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Note on the Edition and Translation: Manuscripts and Methodology

1 Manuscripts

1.1 Summary List of Manuscripts

Table 1

Table 2

1.2 The Manuscriptsâ Contents

1.3 Primary Manuscripts

1.4 Secondary Manuscripts

1.5 Manuscript Family Tree

Figure 1

Table 3

Table 4

2 Previous Editions

3 This Edition

3.1 Substantive Features of this Edition

3.2 Formal Features of this Edition

4 Previous Translations

5 This Translation

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Nahj al-BalÄghah: The Wisdom and Eloquence of Ê¿AlÄ«

A Parallel English-Arabic Text

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1.2 The Manuscriptsâ Contents

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Nahj al-BalÄghah: The Wisdom and Eloquence of Ê¿AlÄ«

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